This paper presents the impulse pre-breakdown and breakdown characteristics of the plane-to-plane electrode system with a needle-shaped protrusion in SF6 gas. The breakdown voltage-time (V-t) characteristics and the breakdown voltage-gas pressure (V-p) characteristics of a highly non-uniform SF6 gas gap under positive and negative lightning impulse voltages are investigated in the pressure range between 0.1 and 0.5 MPa. The pre-breakdown developments are examined by the corona current and light emission measurements with high time resolution. As a result, the dielectric strengths versus time-to-breakdown of SF6 gas gap under positive lightning impulse voltages were nearly independent of the gas pressure. The first streamer corona was initiated at the tip of the needle electrode, and the streamer corona pulses developed with a stepwise propagation. The discharge paths were zigzag, and the branches of the discharge channel for positive polarity were created. On the other hand, the leader channel in the negative polarity was thicker and brighter than that in the positive polarity. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.