Mr. Fusion says:

Miguel

The exploding is the superheated air (plasma) surrounding the “bolt” of lightening expanding then contracting. That action is what causes windows to shake and, in your example, car alarms to go off.

People are advised to stay away from trees as they conduct the electricity down the outside of the tree. This can charge the air around the tree and if you are a better conductor than the tree, well, you’ll get a jolt.

Most lightening has already traveled a few miles through the air. Air is a good resistor, even more so than trees. So the lightening will strike the trees first and if he is close enough, he will be jolted. But I doubt he would receive the entire strength.

One other phony attribute is the whole scene doesn’t light up. The electrical bolt is invisible. It is the superheated plasma that surrounds the bolt, which is only a fraction of an inch, that creates the light. The plasma can be several inches in diameter. Much like an incandescent lightbulb, this superheated plasma will remain much longer than the actual strike. The scene should be lit up for at least a half second and maybe even longer with a slow die off.

As well, a tree would have been hit and there should have been some debris, such as leaves, flying about.