Witchfire or St. Elmo’s fire was caught on camera by US pilots as Hurricane Idalia approached
File photo.
Pilots from the MacDill Air Force Base in Florida have captured footage of the St. Elmo's fire phenomenon. The pilots captured the footage on Monday (August 28) as they evacuated from the airbase in preparation for Hurricane Idalia, which has now weakened into a tropical storm.
Sharing a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the air force base on Wednesday said, "All aircraft on the installation have been evacuated/secured in preparation for Hurricane Idalia. During the evacuation, the 50th ARS recorded St. Elmo’s fire, a weather phenomenon in which luminous plasma is created in an atmospheric electric field."
All aircraft on the installation have been evacuated/secured in preparation for #HurricaneIdalia . During the evacuation, the 50th ARS recorded St. Elmo’s fire, a weather phenomenon in which luminous plasma is created in an atmospheric electric field. pic.twitter.com/tqUGhfm8iN — MacDill AFB (@MacDill_AFB) August 29, 2023
What is St. Elmo's fire phenomenon?
As per the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the St. Elmo's fire phenomenon occurs when friction inside a storm cloud produces excess electrons. "For centuries, sailors observed corona discharges at the tips of ship masts during storms at sea. They coined the phenomenon St. Elmo’s fire, after the patron saint of sailors," the MIT said in a report in 2020.
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A report by CNN on Thursday said that pilots who captured the phenomenon outside their cockpit window this week were not in any danger as St. Elmo's fire on its own is not dangerous.
However, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has cautioned that the fire could be a warning sign, as it typically indicates that storms are nearby. "Unprotected mariners should immediately move to shelter when this phenomenon occurs. Lightning may strike the mast within five minutes after it begins to glow," the NOAA said in a file report.
Idalia lashes Florida, then weakens and turns to Georgia
Meanwhile, Hurricane Idalia lashed Florida on Wednesday, then weakened as it turned its fury on southeastern Georgia, where floodwaters trapped some residents in their homes. Addressing a press conference, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said no hurricane fatalities had been confirmed and that it seemed most residents in vulnerable, low-lying areas had heeded evacuation orders and warnings to move to higher ground.
However, Florida Highway Patrol said on Wednesday that two motorists died in separate rain-related crashes. DeSantis later said authorities were investigating one unconfirmed storm-related traffic death.
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