Introduction to Megaflashes
An enormous, 515-mile-long flash of lightning that crossed at least three states has been named the longest in recorded history in the world.
The 2017 “megaflash” stretched from eastern Texas to near Kansas City — a distance that would take at least eight hours by car or 90 minutes by commercial plane, according to the World Meteorological Organization. In comparison, the average bolt of lightning usually measures less than 10 miles, according to the National Weather Service.
What are Megaflashes?
A megaflash is a giant bolt of lightning that travels huge distances from its origin point, said Randall Cerveny, a professor of geographical sciences at Arizona State University and a member of the WMO committee that confirmed the new record. “It’s an incredibly strange phenomenon,” he said. “We only discovered them 10 years ago, when we could use a particular set of technologies to detect the start and end locations of the of lightning events.”
Occurrence of Megaflashes
Megaflashes are not altogether uncommon, but they typically only occur in parts of the world where specific geographical and atmospheric conditions can produce the most severe thunderstorms, Cerveny said. In the Great Plains and across the Midwest, for instance, warm and humid air from the Gulf of Mexico collides with drier, colder air from the north, creating strong atmospheric instability. When these conditions mix and produce severe storms, megaflashes of lightning can occur. These extra-long bolts of lightning have been observed before in the United States, Argentina and southern France, and scientists think they can also occur in parts of China and Australia, according to Cerveny.
The 2017 Megaflash
The 2017 megaflash was produced by an immense storm that blanketed a huge swath of the U.S., from Texas up into Iowa and Missouri. Though megaflashes can extend across multiple states, they form high up in the atmosphere and so rarely cause damage on the ground, Cerveny said. “They are upwards of 10,000 to 18,000 feet high, in the upper to middle layers of a thunderstorm,” he said. The 515-mile-long lightning bolt was described in a study published Thursday in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.
Impact of Megaflashes
“These new findings highlight important public safety concerns about electrified clouds which can produce flashes which travel extremely large distances and have a major impact on the aviation sector and can spark wildfires,” WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said in an accompanying statement. The extreme conditions that spawn them are a reminder of how powerful and dangerous lightning storms can be. In the U.S., lightning kills roughly 20 people each year and injures hundreds more, according to the weather service.
Record-Breaking Megaflash
With the classification Thursday, the 2017 lightning flash now surpasses the previous world record set five years ago by about 38 miles, according to the WMO. That bolt of lightning was unleashed April 29, 2020, and spanned 477.2 miles across parts of the southern U.S. The 2017 megaflash was identified after scientists re-examined archival measurements taken when the storm occurred. “When the original studies were done, we didn’t have the technology that we have today,” Cerveny said. “Now we have this instrument on a weather satellite that very accurately detects lightning and can precisely pinpoint where, how far and how long a lightning flash event takes place.”
Future of Megaflash Research
Experts said it’s likely there will be even longer megaflashes found in the coming years, particularly as satellite technologies improve the ability to detect them. “Over time, as the data record continues to expand, we will be able to observe even the rarest types of extreme lightning on Earth and investigate the broad impacts of lightning on society,” study lead author Michael Peterson, an atmospheric scientist in the Severe Storms Research Center at the Georgia Institute of Technology, said in a statement. The WMO’s Committee on Weather and Climate Extremes keeps official records of global, hemispheric and regional extremes, including for temperature, rainfall, wind, hail, lightning, tornadoes and tropical cyclones.
Conclusion
The discovery of the 515-mile-long megaflash is a significant finding that highlights the power and complexity of lightning storms. As research and technology continue to advance, it is likely that even more extreme weather events will be discovered and studied. The importance of understanding and monitoring these events cannot be overstated, as they have significant impacts on public safety and the environment.
FAQs
- Q: What is a megaflash?
A: A megaflash is a giant bolt of lightning that travels huge distances from its origin point. - Q: Where do megaflashes typically occur?
A: Megaflashes typically occur in parts of the world where specific geographical and atmospheric conditions can produce the most severe thunderstorms. - Q: How long was the 2017 megaflash?
A: The 2017 megaflash was 515 miles long. - Q: What is the previous record for the longest lightning flash?
A: The previous record was 477.2 miles, set in 2020. - Q: Why are megaflashes important to study?
A: Megaflashes are important to study because they have significant impacts on public safety and the environment, and can provide insights into the power and complexity of lightning storms.
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