Catatumbo Lightning For half a year, there is a near perpetual storm raging over the mouth of the Catacumbo River. . In northwest Venezuela, at the place where Lake Maracaibo meets the Catatumbo River, lightning occurs, on average, twenty-eight times per minute for up to nine hours each day after dusk, for around 300 days a year, accompanied by a storm. These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes by these third parties. Here, the night sky is regularly illuminated for nine hours at a time, with lightning striking the sky at the rate of about 28 strikes per minute. Quick Facts From 2006 through 2021, there were 444 lightning strike deaths in the United States. Visitors can join guided night tours to witness the spectacle of Catatumbos so-called everlasting storm and explore the tropical savannas nearby. Get our travel tips Delivered to your inbox, TripSavvy uses only high-quality, trusted sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. the lightning being a special type that produces no thunder or 2.) The most electric place on Earth.At one lake in Venezuela, lightning flashes 28 times a minuteThe Catatumbo Lightning (Spanish: Relmpago del Catatumbo) is a. Splashes of lightning are seen in a radius of about 400 kilometers - you can watch them at any point round the lake. About 260 days a year, no-rain lightning storms light up the sky all night long - thirty flashes a minute for up to nine hours, to be exact. Florida is considered the lightning capital of the country, with more than 2,000 lightning injuries over the past 50 years. There is a saying that the only things that are certain in life are death and taxes. The main epicentrum of splashes - mouth of the Catatumbo River (hence the name of the lightening) that is in the south west of the lake. "Catatumbo lightning" in Venezuela is produced by thunderstorm complexes (MCSs) that form due to 'diurnal' (meaning on a day/night cycle) wind patterns produced as a result of the local topography and maritime factors. From polar vortexes to hurricanes that strikeNew York City in autumn to droughts that never seem to end, no one in the worldtruly seems to know what's happening with the weather. Researchershave been exploring the impact of methane on the storms as well. [2] It originates from a mass of storm clouds at an . In other words, "Catatumbo lightning" isn't a rare or different type of lightning, and the storms are not in a different class than ones observed elsewhere. Although lightning affects all regions in the United States, the Southeastern states are most at risk. Feb 8, 2022 168 Share DiscoveryChannelInd 1.1M subscribers Lightning that lasts forever! Since 2006, only five states (Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Washington) and the U.S. Virgin Islands have reported no lightning deaths. There have been campaigns to have the region listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. The 280 lightning strikes every hour are so prominent that they were once used as a navigational tool, a lighthouse to keep souls away from the coast and safe from harm. But the odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are less than one in a million, and almost 90% of all lightning strike victims survive. 2019 Majestic Skies Calendar - http://lightningdude.comThe Lightning Camp in the Heart of Venezuela's Maracaibo Lake is situated just few kilometers South of. Having irregularities like that in the terrain can help generate wind patterns and heating or cooling patterns that would boost the likelihood of thunderstorms.. August 2, 2011 -- A mysterious symphony of rapid-fire lightning bolts used to create the greatest light show on Earth over the Catatumbo River in Venezuela -- until . Kirsty McCabe takes a closer look through the gloom. Sometimes referred to as Venezuela's "eternal thunderstorm," the Catatumbo Lightning doesn't actually fire nonstop, but for at least a few centuries, it has occurred around 150 times per year. Humidity has been thought to have played a role, as the longest recorded pause of lightning activity, in 2010, coincided with a severe drought in Venezuela caused by an El Nio weather event. We can't keep all that lighting in a bottle, so here are 10. Its the frequency and concentration of the so-called Relmpago del Catatumbo that is weird. These cookies perform functions like remembering presentation options or choices and, in some cases, delivery of web content that based on self-identified area of interests. On the side of the country that faces the Sea of Japan, the snow clouds that form there between November and February also bring a lot of thunder and lightning. The Catatumbo Lightning strikes 9 hours a day, 300 days a year, at the mouth of the Catatumbo River in Venezuela, usually occurring at exactly the same time and place each night. Catatumbo Lightning can be found in northern Venezuela, where the Catatumbo River empties into Lake Maracaibo. Catatumbo Lightning is an atmospheric phenomenon that causes lightning storms that can last as long as 9 hours per day, with as many as 28 lightning strikes per minute. These convergence zones form nightly and in generally the same location in the Lago de Maracaibo basin, creating the thunderstorms that produce the famed Catatumbo lightning. The country has been embroiled in economic crisis for years, and unplanned travel to the country could mean putting your safety at risk. If you want to see Catatumbo Lightning with your own eyes, your best option is to go with a guided tour, so that you can pair the spectacle of the lightning with the opportunity to see river dolphins, colorful birds, butterflies and howler monkeys, as well as to explore the authentic Andean villages of La Azulita and Jaj, whose magic is more enduring than the so-called "never-ending lightning." This is highly unlikely, as thunderstorm formation requires large-scale atmospheric forces: instability, moisture and lift. Ultimate Facts. Lightning strikes over Lake Maracaibo in the village of Ologa, in Zulia state, Venezuela, on September 6, 2021. Lightning can occur during any time of the year, but most lightning deaths occur during summer, especially during July. Customer trolls airline after flight change, Divers unearth 26-year-old Titanic mystery. The reality is that all lightning produces thunder. This electric spot, where the Catatumbo River empties into Lake Maracaibo in Venezuelas far northwest, is believed to be the most lightning-struck place on earth. A passenger was left stunned and confused after taking an innocent photo on board a plane, that resulted in him being barred from disembarking. This area in Venezuela is also home to a quarter of the nation's population. Ten minutes of Catatumbo Lightning could illuminate all of South America. how does catatumbo lightning form? The Catatumbo lightning, although not rare or unusual, is a remarkable feature in that it persists in the same place night after night. The storms are at their most spectacular at the peak of the wet season around October, and ease off in the drier months of January and February. MYTH 3: "Catatumbo lightning produces no thunder": The last common myth regarding Catatumbo lightning is that it rarely produces thunder, due to either 1.) Catatumbo lightning. Each year, over 1.2 million lightning bolts are confined to the mouth of the Catatumbo River - the single highest concentration of lightning in the world. A lot of the (lightning) hot spots are tied to features in the terrain slopes of mountain ranges, curved coastlines, combinations of those, Dr Daniel Cecil from the Global Hydrology and Climate Centres lightning team told the BBC. It originates from a mass of storm clouds at a . Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Answer: Thunder and lightning are produced primarily in the summer months, when the atmosphere is unstable. Discover the different types of lightningin this MetMatters post. I believe the photo below is a time lapse image. Fig. Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website. The lightning of Catatumbo flashes above Curacao. Mountains surround the Lago de Maracaibo basin, which influence wind patterns that promote convergence zones at the surface, much like a LLJ does with a frontal boundary. And its especially untrue in Venezuela, where a particular spot on a particular lake attracts 1.2 million lightning bolts a year. Over the basin in Venezuela where the Catatumbo River empties into the Lake Maracaibo, a natural phenomenon of spectacular lightning occurs. It originates from a mass of storm clouds over nearby mountains, and occurs during 140 to 160 nights a year, 10 hours per day and up to 280 times per hour. El Catatumbo, Venezuela The most famous lightning hotspot of the world, the thunderstorms at Lake. Decades ago, it was believed uranium deposits in bedrock attracted the lightning. Scientists think that the phenomenon at Catatumbo, named after a river that runs into a lake, is normal lightning that just happens to occur far more than anywhere else, due to local topography and wind patterns. Contrary to myths, the type of thunderstorm, and attendant lightning, produced with the Catatumbo storms are no different from highly electrified thunderstorm complexes commonly seen in many parts of the world. THEY say that lightning never strikes the same place twice. Cookies used to make website functionality more relevant to you. 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The Catatumbo lightning, although not rare or unusual, is a remarkable feature in that it persists in the same place night after night. And the spectacular phenomenon may even be responsible for Venezuela's independence. Lake Maracaibo basin is surrounded by mountains that trap warm winds coming off the Caribbean Sea. When these winds collide with the cool air coming down the Andes mountains, they are forced up until they condense into thunderclouds. What is Catatumbo Lightning? Later, scientists suggested the air above Lake Maracaibo had enhanced conductivity because of methane from oilfields below. The odds of being struck multiple times is even less, with the record being seven times in one lifetime. In this video, I will explain what this incredible natural phenomenon is and why it occurs so of. The Catatumbo Lightning is not only not eternal, but its tenure above the Catatumbo River Delta has not been eternally unbroken. Why is it that fog often forms in autumn and winter, and is there an easy way to predict when it will clear? There are. Well, unless you happen to live in Venezuelaspecifically in northern Venezuela, where the Catatumbo River empties into Lake Maracaibo. Sailors have embraced this unexplained phenomenon for . The Catatumbo Lightning (Spanish Relmpago del Catatumbo) is an atmospheric phenomenon in Venezuela.It occurs only over the mouth of the Catatumbo River where it empties into Lake Maracaibo.The frequent, powerful flashes of lightning over this relatively small area are considered to be the World's largest single generator of tropospheric ozone. And the spectacular phenomenon may even be responsible for Venezuelas independence. If you were to travel to Venezuela to observe Catatumbo lightning, you wouldn't see a new, rare type of thunderstorm or lightning. The sky ignites just after the sun sets, and it continues until sun-up . Work-related activities contribute to about 18% of total lightning fatalities, with farmers and ranchers at highest risk. 3: Below: A thunderstorm with lightning in Missouri, viewed from 70 miles away in Illinois. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. These winds crash into cool air spilling down from . The LLJ tends to weaken after sunrise, after which the nocturnal storms will wane and dissipate. Others said that hiatus was caused instead by nearby deforestation. It is difficult to ignore the weather these days, whether you're a climate change skeptic,a committed believer to the dangers of global warming or simply someone who's googled "never-ending lightning" and are wondering what all the fuss is all about. The average age of a person struck by lightning is 37 years. 260 storm days a year are experienced in the region, generating almost 1.2 million lightning strikes per year. MULTIMEDIA LINK: View photos and video of a nocturnal MCS in Illinois, USA. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2022. The Catatumbo lightning storm of Venezuela.At least 300 days of the year a vast raging storm forms at the mouth of the Catatumbo River. For those people living in a little village called Catatumbo in Venezuela, they can add lightning to that. Lightning deaths often occur on weekends, particularly Saturdays, and in the afternoon. View more photos and video. According to NASA, the energy released during just 10 minutes of Catatumbo lightning could illuminate the whole of South America. Open in . For generations locals have been captivated by the regions dramatic light show, with lightning storms raging for about 10 hours a night, about 260 nights a year. The only apparent unique characteristic of this phemonemon is that the storms form and persist in the same place night after night. Thunder is rarely audible to an observer at distances of more than 15 miles away from the lightning. Lake Maracaibo tops out at an astonishing 233 lightning flashes per square kilometer per year, making it the absolute lightning hot spot of the world. The release discharges a zigzag of electrical energy strong enough to light 100 million bulbs. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. The highest concentration of lightning on earth can be found where Lake Maracaibo meets the Catatumbo River. Here, the night sky is regularly illuminated for nine hours at a time, with lightning striking the sky at the rate of about 28 strikes per minute. Lake Maracaibo basin is surrounded by mountains that trap warm trade winds coming off the Caribbean. Catatumbo Lightning ADDPMP560 Catatumbo lightning is an atmospheric phenomenon that occurs over the mouth of the Catatumbo River where it empties into Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela. And plenty of theories have attempted an explanation. The topography, wind configuration and tropical climate in the Lago de Maracaibo region alone produces these three ingredients that trigger the storms - any methane produced by the swamps is an irrelevent factor. There are 250 lightning strikes per sq. For those of you who don't know (and didn't click on that last link), Catatumbo lightning is one of the world's most frequent lightning displays, with thunderstorms forming over the Catatumbo River in Venezuela an average of 160 nights per year. Where can you find Catatumbo Lightning? Jeremy DeMoss and Anthony Merendino had the great opportunity to board the tall ship Pelican of London and embark on voyages as Scientists in Residence during 2022. From 2006 through 2021, there were 444 lightning strike deaths in the United States. What on Earth is going on? Unfortunately, with the high frequency of lightning also comes a high frequency of lightning accidents. Scientists now say the regions unique topography and wind patterns contribute to the unique phenomenon. From storms to extreme heat, 2022 has been a record-breaking period for the UK's weather. In 1981, then-surfer Alan Highton came to Venezuela from his native Barbados, in love with a local girl. Each year, over 1.2 million lightning bolts are confined to the mouth of the Catatumbo River - the single highest concentration of lightning in the world. The "Relmpago del Catatumbo" ('Catatumbo lightning') is a unique phenomenon in the world. 2,518 notes Dec 16th, 2020. Long-lived, highly electrified thunderstorm complexes (called an MCS: Mesoscale Convective System) are common at night in many parts of the world, particularly in the Plains and Midwest regions of the United States during spring and summer. It's also important to note that even if you're lucky enough to visit when the Catatumbo Lightning is in a period of high activity, the lightning starts at a different time each day, and is most spectacular at night. In the first attempt, in 1595, ships led by British seafarer Sir Francis Drake were exposed while trying to launch a surprise night-time attack on Spanish soldiers in Maracaibo. It originates from a mass of storm clouds at an altitude of more than 1 km, and occurs during 140 to 160 nights a year, 10 hours per day, and up to 280 times per hour. There are some factors that can put you at greater risk for being struck, such as participating in outdoor recreational activities or working outside. Catatumbo lightning (Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela) Bogor (Java Island . Males are four times more likely than females to be struck by lightning. Interest in Catatumbo lightning has been increasing in recent years, and the following myths are often repeated in news articles and documentaries: MYTH 1: "Catatumbo lightning is a special or rare type of lightning": There is no evidence to suggest that the Catatumbo thunderstorms and/or the lightning they produce are unique in any natural sense. It occurs only over the mouth of the Catatumbo River where it empties into Lake Maracaibo. . This may sound strange, but for some people, lightning is a rare phenomenon, for others, it is a daily routine. As the one place on Earth that has the most lightning, Maracabio Lake in Venezuela, is the topic for this weather wise segment. According to Catatumbo Camp, a lightning tourism company near the lake, nearly three people die every year in the lightning capital of the world. July 20, 2011, 3:58 PM. Distant lightning observed anywhere on earth will tend to have an orange/yellow/brown cast due to atmospheric particulates, much in the same way that the setting sun is affected. Lightning often hits the lake, which can be deadly for fishermen out in their boats. When Kirsty McCabe first presented the weather she was told not to use the word precipitation on air. Read our, Flickr user derekskey (via Creative Commons). He watches its mile-high dance above the mouth of Venezuela's Catatumbo River, seventy miles across the Caribbean Sea from his shack on the island of Curaao. Sometimes it lasts as long as 10 hours per day, with as many as 300 lightning strikes per hour. THIS spot is struck by more lightning than anywhere else in the world, creating spectacular electric storms. Distant lightning appears orange due to atmospheric particulates, in the same way the setting sun produces an orange cast. It was apparently too technical. The only characteristic that makes Catatumbo lightning unique is the storms' near-daily formation in exactly the same location in the Lago de Maracaibo region of Venezuela. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. All times AEDT (GMT +11). A cheeky customer desperate for a refund on a flight has been applauded for their exceptional trolling of an Australian airline. The single remarkable feature of the Catatumbo storms is their formation in the same place and at the same time for (what many sources say is) nearly half of the nights throughout the year. Located on the mouth of the Catatumbo river at Lake Maracaibo (Venezuela), the phenomenon is a cloud-to-cloud lightning that forms a voltage arc more than five kilometre high during 140 to 160 nights a year, 10 hours a night, and as many as 280 times an hour. AMS Journal Article: Diurnal Patterns of Rainfall in Northwestern South America, GO: Home | Storm Expeditions | Photography | Extreme Weather Library | Stock Footage | Blog, Web Site Design and Internet Marketing by CIS Internet, Lightning Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). When water droplets of humid air collide with ice crystals from the cold air, it produces static charges that build up. Yes, that is quite the show. Simon Brown, Services Director at the Met Office, explains how meteorologists forecast and communicated the extreme events. Nearly every day, there are hundreds of lightning strikes around Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo. These lightning storms can last as longas 9 hours per day, with as many as28 lightning strikes per minute. As a result, the thunder generated by the Catatumbo lightning is rarely audible since it occurs at great distances from the observer. When the LLJ encounters a frontal boundary, this unstable air is forced upward - often triggering strong, large thunderstorm complexes (MCSs) that last through the nighttime hours. Thats about 28 lighting strikes every minute enough energy to power 100 million light bulbs. "Catatumbo lightning" refers to continuous (high frequency) lightning from a near-daily thunderstorm complex that forms in the Lago de Maracaibo/Catatumbo River region in northern Venezuela, South America. MetMatters explains the different forms that water takes when falling from the sky. About one-third of lightning injuries occur indoors. 1. Lightning strikes have historically caused numerous deaths, but the improved forecasting capabilities have made conditions safer. So what makes Catatumbo Lightning consistent? Fig. The only reason that Catatumbo storms are notable is because they consistently form in the same place night after night. For 140 to 160 nights out of the year, for 10 hours at a time, the sky above the river is pierced by almost constant lightning, producing as many as 280 strokes per hour. Scientists believe the storm, which occurs approximately three miles above the surface of the water, is caused by a mix of cold and warm air currents that occurs exactly where the lightning forms. This has been going on for centuries; Lake . Lake Maracaibo basin is surrounded by mountains that trap warm trade winds coming off the Caribbean. Known as the "Relmpago del Catatumbo," (relmpago means lightning in Spanish) this lightning storm has been raging, on and off, for as long as people . Latest news See more Yesterday . These winds meet cool air moving down from the Andes, forcing the air upwards until it condenses into thunderclouds. Catatumbo Lightning is sometimes referred to as Venezuela's "eternal thunderstorm," or the "Beacon of Maracaibo," as it was said to once help ships navigate their way from the country's Maracaibo port. Lightning can strike the ground, the air, or inside clouds, but there are roughly 5 to 10 times more cloud flashes than cloud-to-ground flashes. A video of the lightning can be viewed here:www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyWkLsdJjPI.
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