Photographer Danny Welgama captures incredible image of rare lightning phenomena gigantic jet near Derby

A passionate storm-chasing photographer has captured an extremely rare lightning phenomenon in WA’s outback.

Danny Welgama was near Derby in the Kimberley when he snapped an amazing picture of a gigantic jet from a distant thunderstorm.

The incredible shot shows the lightning splitting the sky and making the clouds glow, with a wrecked car in the foreground.

Posting on social media, Welgama admitted that he thought he had missed the spectacular event just after 8pm on Saturday.

“I saw this with my own eyes and I was worried I had missed it but checked the cameras, lucky both cameras got the shot,” he said.

Gigantic jets are a rare event where lightning is discharged above storms.

While most lightning happens between the clouds and the ground, gigantic jets start at the cloud tops and reach into the ionosphere.

With the ionosphere starting about 50km above the ground, the jets can reach 80km above Earth.

“I have seen sprites and blue jet in the past but nothing like this,” Welgama said.

“I think my jaw dropped to the ground after I saw this on the back of my camera screen.

“Can’t wait to capture my next storm in WA.”

Gigantic jets can get so high above Earth that they can be seen from space.

In July, astronauts aboard the International Space Station captured a picture of the phenomenon near Thailand.