Build up of electrostatic charge in the clouds results in lightning. During this event, one region of the cloud is accumulated with positive charge whereas the other region is accumulated with negative charge.Hence when positive and negative charges grow large enough ,the air present being non-conductive no more resists the flow of charges and electric discharge can be seen in the form of giant lightning sparks.

It is estimated that lightning strikes 40-50 times every second, i.e., almost 1.4 billion flashes per year.

Lightning occurs when there is a build up of the electrostatic charge in clouds. Regions within the cloud, one builds up a positive whereas other builds up a negative charge.

Lightening is an extremely high voltage, high current, transient electrical discharge. It is most commonly caused by charge separation in cumulonimbus clouds, or "thunderheads". These type of clouds typically are very dynamic with strong ascending and descending air currents. They are formed in unstable atmospheric zones where there is typically lot of heat and moisture.

The layer of the earth's atmosphere which contains a high concentration of ions and free electrons and is able to reflect radio wave is known as the ionosphere.

Static electricity is an imbalance of electric charges within or on the surface of a material. The charge remains until it is able to move away by means of electric discharge. The static electricity produced by charged particles in the atmosphere is known as atmospheric electricity.

Atmospheric electricity is the pattern of electrical  charges in Earth's atmosphere. Atmospheric electricity refers to electricity that exists in the atmosphere as a result of natural phenomenon. 

The normal movement of electric charges among the Earth's surface, the various layers of atmosphere and especially the ionosphere, taken together are known as Global atmosphere electric circuit.

The ionosphere is the ionised part of earth's upper atmosphere. It is the layer that extends from about $80$ to $1000$ Km above the earth's surface.

Lightening is an extremely high voltage, high current, transient electrical discharge. It is most commonly caused by charge separation in cumulonimbus clouds or thunderheads. 

Atmospheric electricity is the pattern of electrical charges in the earth's atmosphere. The normal movement of electric charges among the earth's surface, the various layers of the atmosphere, and especially the ionosphere, taken together, are known as the global atmospheric electrical circuit.
Much of the reasoning required to explain these currents lies within the field of electrostatics, but also requires understanding of other disciplines within Earth science.

The fine day net positive charge sets up an electric field between the negative earth and the net positive charge in the air and this electric field stores electrical energy. The positive charge acts by induction on the earth and electromagnetic devices.

When there is lightning and you are in a jungle, its better to go under a canopy of small trees and bushes. The electric field is strongest near the pointed tip of an electrical conductor, and so isolated trees often make for great targets for lightning strikes. Canopy of small trees delocalises charge concentration on the other hand. 

The heat from the sun and warm air cause water from water bodies to vaporize. These vapour accumulate in the sky to form clouds. When these vapour molecules rub against the air molecules or other vapour molecules, they acquire charge due to friction.

A lightening rocket is a rocket device, about the size of a man, that trails behind a conductor, such as fine copper wire. It is therefore, a conducting lightening rod which is grounded and positioned along side the launch tube in communication with the conductive path to thereby control time and location of a lightening strike from the thundercloud.

The earth's surface is negatively charged.

$Lightning$ is the natural phenomena of electric discharge through atmosphere.

The presence of electrical action is the atmosphere, due to the accumulation of enormous static charges generated by friction of air upon itself, can be accounted for the generation of atmospheric electricity i.e, lightening and thunderstorms. 

The accumulation of enormous static charges in the atmosphere is generated by the friction of air upon itself. Such accumulation of static charges in the atmosphere can be the cause of atmosphere electricity. 
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Atmospheric electricity is the study of electrical charges in the earth's atmosphere. Benjamin Franklin discovered it. His experiments showed that electrical phenomenon of atmosphere were not fundamentally different from those produced in the laboratory by listing many similarities between electricity and lighting. 

Lightening conductor always develops the opposite charges as in the charge in the clouds. This statement is true. Because according to the lightening dissipative theory, which states that as a cloud approaches a building, there is a conductive pathway established between the statically charged cloud and lightening rod. The charge induced by the cloud on lightening rod is opposite to that  on the cloud. According to this theory, static charges gradually migrate along this pathway to the ground, thus reducing the explosive discharge.