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Out in the Mediterranean Sea, a large mushroom cloud stopped thousands of Sardinians in their tracks.

Back in early July, 27-year-old photographer Stefano Garau captured the images in the slideshow above as a massive cumulonimbus cloud formed over the Italian island of Sardinia. Large bolts of lightning formed inside the cloud and illuminated the night sky, making residents aware of the behemoth that was hovering over their homes.

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Garau snatched up his camera and rushed to his balcony to capture images of the storm once he saw it closing in, according to the Daily Mail. He was able to take about 70 pictures of the storm, the report added.

"If the bolts fall in the frame, it is a bit like winning the lottery," he told the Daily Mail.

(MORE: Why Millions of These Objects are Washing Ashore)

Sardinia has been no stranger to severe weather recently. The vacation destination was swamped by flooding from a separate system just weeks before these images were taken, the Mirror reported, and much of that flooding stemmed from severe storms that stranded many travelers.

Additionally, at least 16 people died last November when a large storm brought six months' worth of rainfall in just 12 hours, CNN reported. Officials said rainfall of that magnitude hadn't been seen on the island in hundreds of years.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Flooding in Europe, June 2013