Lightning has both the properties of an ac and dc signal Unless there is a current flow, which there isn't until the strike established, one can not speak either ac nor dc Because it has polarity and always travels in a single direction, then it can very easily be a dc signal.
AC/DC: Lightning Logo (PP520) ~ Pendants | Alchemy England
A typical lightning current waveform looks.
It's dc rather than ac in the sense that the current is predominantly flowing in one direction, but as you can probably guess by watching a lightning strike it's not a steady, constant dc current.
The discussion revolves around whether lightning can be classified as alternating current (ac) or direct current (dc) Participants explore the nature of lightning, its discharge characteristics,. See lightning strikes in real time across the planet Free access to maps of former thunderstorms
Is lightning ac or dc Lightning is a unidirectional transient pulse, not ac or dc If you call ac as the pure sine wave or periodically changing from positive to negative, then lightning is dc If you call dc as the constant value of current or charge flow, then it is ac.