Sprites keep occupying central Europe

Photo credit & info: Anna Odzimek (IGF PAN) and Magdalena Mielniczek

With large thunderstorm systems sweeping across central Europe every week or so, this summer season proves to be very successful for sky and TLE observers in central Europe. Numerous events have been observed from the Czech Republic and Hungary. Polish Fireball Network have reported observing sprites in large number compared to the last three years (after their first observation in 2009). In addition, I also heard from an eyewitness who had seen something like a sprite from a hill above a thunderstorm occurring in central Poland, on one evening this August.

Recently, a camera installed in Gliwice, Poland, recorded a couple of events produced by a thunderstorm system over Germany and the Czech Republic on 11 September 2011 (see photo).

Meanwhile, PFN recorded sprites over another thunderstorm that had developed that night and passed across the north-west of Poland.