June 20 2024 - Thunder and Lightning

 

We had a thunderstorm early this morning and the forecast is for more over the next few days.  Time to look at lightning and thunder... "If you count the number of seconds between the flash of lightning and the sound of thunder, and then divide by 5, you'll get the distance in miles to the lightning: 5 seconds = 1 mile, 15 seconds = 3 miles, 0 seconds = very close."  Here's the metre calculation:  "For metric-system conversions, follow this method: Sound travels at about 340 m/s, so multiply the number of seconds you counted by 340, and you'll know how many meters away lightning struck. A three-second count, then, would place the lightning strike about 1,020 m away, or roughly 1 km" And what is the golden rule of lightning?   "There is no place outside that is safe from lightning."  Here is the 30 minute rule: "Once inside, avoid contact with corded phones, electrical equipment, plumbing, and windows and doors. Finally, wait 30 minutes after the last lightning or thunder before going back outside. If everyone followed those simple rules, the number of lightning casualties in this country could be greatly reduced." Here's an abstract from a few years ago.

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Jan 24 2022- Lightning from Space

 

What made NASA put up a specialized science camera to track lightning?  It is attached to the International Space Station which circles the earth 16 times every day.   This NASA instrument has been cataloguing lightning strikes in the atmosphere since 2017. It is the second LIS to be launched after the first flew on NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite from 1997-2015. It is also the third dedicated lightning instrument NASA has put into space. The first was the Optical Transient Detector (OTD) on the OrbView-1 satellite, which circled Earth from 1995 to 2000. They now can identify the locations on Earth where lightning strikes the most - known as the Lightning Capital of the World.  It is now Lake Maracaibo in northwestern Venezuela.  At one time it was Lake Kivu on the border of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Africa remains the leader in the number of lightning hotspots. Lake Maracaibo's average flash rate is 389 per day.  The Lake Kivu location had 368 flashes per day.  But it can be thousands per night at its highest and about 300 nights per year, peaking in September.   And the reason why NASA tracks lightning?  To better help forecasters predict and alert the public to severe weather such as thunderstorms, tornadoes and hurricanes.  Here are two images that made me think of lightning.  Particularly the second one, found on the side of a dilapidated van.   Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblog.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Oct 7 2021 - Lightning hits the world records

 

The Weather Channel showed a picture of a tree in flames and had a short headline on what lightning can do.   Looking up world records on lightning, I find that the world record lightning strike happened in October 2018 and was confirmed in 2020.  "A new world record lightning strike of 440 miles has been confirmed by the World Meteorological Organization, according to a Thursday announcement. The "megaflash" traveled that distance over parts of southern Brazil on Oct. 31, 2018, the WMO said. This is equivalent to the distance between Washington, DC, and Boston. In addition to the longest flash in terms of distance, a world record for longest lightning strike in terms of time was also announced: A single flash lasted 16.73 seconds over northern Argentina on March 4, 2019." We think of people being hit by lightning.  Here's an article on peoples being hit by lightning. Roy Sullivan seems to be the official record-holder. He lived from 1912-1983 and was a park ranger in Virginia.  He was hit by lightning on seven occasions between 1942 and 1977.  In one strike it was reported that he saw a cloud, thought that it was following him, tried to run away, but was struck anyway.  That was in 1976, and his hair caught fire.  His seven strikes are described in Wikipedia HERE.  He's the current Guinness World Record holder, although one can find Melvin Roberts whose claim is having been hit 10 (or 11) times.  He looks in rough shape in the pictures.   I came upon an amazing Dahlia display in a Grimsby garden this week, and took the opportunity to photograph the flowers yesterday.  They are growing along a walkway to Centennial Park.