An electrifying desert phenomenon left tourists stunned in northwest China.

The video was filmed in the Kumtag Desert of Shanshan County in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on August 15.

An unexpected and electrifying phenomenon that stunned Mr Zhao and the group of tourists he was leading. As they reached the peak of a sand dune for some leisurely exploration, everyone was taken aback when their hair and body hair stood on end, emanating a sizzling noise. They could even feel their mobile phones and vehicles becoming electrically charged.

Zhao, who has worked as a desert guide in the area for over a decade, expressed his astonishment, stating it was the first time he had ever encountered such a phenomenon.

After spending only four to five minutes atop the dune due to the unexpected event, they descended. When they returned to the same spot around 20 minutes later, the phenomenon disappeared.

For insights into this electrifying incident, Associate Professor Wu Xueke of the Atmospheric Science School at Lanzhou University explained that the phenomena were caused by electrified clouds above the tourists' heads. In such circumstances, humans act as a sharp point, leading to a severe distortion of the electric field around the head, resulting in the sensation of hair being induced by static electricity.

In extreme cases, there's a risk of being struck by lightning. "When encountering this in the wild, one should immediately find a lower spot, and squat down with feet together without walking or running. If there are vehicles nearby, it's best to seek shelter inside them," advised Professor Wu.

A representative from the Meteorological Disaster Prevention Technology Center of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region revealed that they hadn't received prior reports of such occurrences in the desert. He further added that thunderstorm weather in desert regions is relatively rare, and as long as appropriate preventive measures are taken, there shouldn't be any significant issues.

The video was provided by local media with permission.

8月15日，新疆吐鲁番鄯善县库木塔格沙漠，赵先生带游客登上沙漠山顶游玩时，突发神奇现象，所有人头发和汗毛全部竖立，并且发出滋滋啦啦的响声，可以感觉到手机和车子也都带电。
赵先生介绍，自己是一名沙漠导游，到这边工作有10多年了，还是第一次遇到这种情况后，当时在山顶待了四五分钟就下去了，过了20多分钟后再回到山顶原来的地方，这种情况就没有了。
对此，兰州大学大气科学学院副教授吴学珂介绍，出现这种情况是游客头顶上的云带电，人就像一个尖端，头顶上的电场畸变非常厉害，就会产生头发静电感应，最极端情况下人可能会被闪电击中，人在野外遇到这种情况，应就地找个比较低的地方，双脚并拢蹲下去，脚不能跨开，不能走和跑，如果附近有车辆停放，也可快速进入车内躲避。
新疆维吾尔自治区气象局气象灾害防御技术中心的一位工作人员介绍，气象灾害防御技术中心此前并未接收过沙漠出现此种情况的报告，沙漠地区的雷电天气较少，只要做好相应的防护措施、及时避险，就不会有问题。