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UPI
2 days ago
- Science
- UPI
Great Plains lighting bolt spanning three states sets shocking record
1 of 2 | An image from NOAA's advanced GOES-16 satellite of the thunderstorm helped verify the record size of a megaflash lightning bolt on October 22, 2017. Photo by NOAA Aug. 5 (UPI) -- A massive lightning bolt that stretched from eastern Texas to just outside of Kansas City, Mo., has been officially recognized as the largest recorded flash by the World Meteorological Organization. The lightning bolt was generated by a major cluster of thunderstorms that swept over the Great Plains on Oct. 22, 2017, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Monday. Researchers used advanced satellite technology to capture the flash's enormous span, and they hope it will help them better understand how lightning affects people. Despite the bolt having a horizontal distance of 515 miles, it was not identified in the original analysis of the thunderstorm and researchers took note of it during a recent re-examination, according to NOAA. The World Meteorological Organization's Committee on Weather and Climate Extremes used NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, the most advanced satellite technology available, to verify the length of the flash and recognize it as a new record, according to a press release from the organization. Researchers had previously used data collected by ground-based technology to measure lightning flashes, according to the press release. The use of satellite technology allowed researchers to observe a larger area. "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," Michael J. Peterson, a researcher at the Georgia Institute of Technology's Severe Storms Research Center and member of the committee, said in the press release. The lightning bolt's length is about the same distance between Paris, France, and Venice, Italy, according to the World Meteorological Organization. It would take about eight to nine hours to cover the same distance by car and about 90 minutes for a commercial plane. The previous record was for a lightning bolt that spanned 477 miles across parts of the southern U.S. on April 29, 2020. The Great Plains region is known for its large thunderstorms that also give rise to lightning "megaflashes" that extend over expansive distances or have longer durations. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said in a statement that while "lightning is a source of wonder," it is also a deadly hazard. "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," Saulo said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
New World Record-Longest 'Megaflash' Lightning Confirmed. It Covered A Distance From East Texas To Near Kansas City
Scientists have confirmed a new world record for the longest lightning flash in a thunderstorm complex, which hit the Great Plains 8 years ago this fall. The so-called megaflash lightning extended a distance of 515 miles from northeast Texas to near Kansas City on Oct. 22, 2017, according to the findings by Georgia Tech researchers who were supported by NASA. It lasted 7.39 seconds and struck the ground below in various spots more than 100 times. This distance beats out the previous record megaflash of 477.2 miles set April 29, 2020, in the southern United States, according to a comprehensive database of weather records maintained by the World Meteorological Organization. You can see the vein-like appearance of the new record megaflash shaded in green in the analysis below. The blue and red dots show where cloud-to-ground lightning strikes occurred. Scientists found this lightning flash was not previously detected because of how data was originally processed from NOAA's GOES satellite. It was discovered when data was reanalyzed last year, so that's why the year in which this new record occurred is older (2017) than the previous one (2020). "The 2017 event is notable in that it was one of the first storms where NOAA's newest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-16) documented lightning 'megaflashes' – extremely long duration/distance lightning discharge events," the World Meteorological Organization said in a press release. A Georgia Tech press release said most lightning flashes stretch 10 miles or less, but longer ones covering distances of hundreds of miles happen often enough for satellites to see them. They are typically spotted in the Great Plains, where what meteorologists call mesoscale convective systems frequently strike. These complexes of thunderstorms are notorious for producing prolific lightning as well as flash flooding, high winds, hail and sometimes tornadoes. While this megaflash is a new record for distance, it's not in the top spot for how long it lasted. A bolt of lightning in 2020 over South America last 17 seconds, or nearly 10 seconds longer than this October 2017 event in the Great Plains, as senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman wrote about. Chris Dolce has been a senior digital meteorologist with for 15 years after beginning his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
New World Record-Longest 'Megaflash' Lightning Confirmed. It Covered A Distance From East Texas To Near Kansas City
Scientists have confirmed a new world record for the longest lightning flash in a thunderstorm complex, which hit the Great Plains 8 years ago this fall. The so-called megaflash lightning extended a distance of 515 miles from northeast Texas to near Kansas City on Oct. 22, 2017, according to the findings by Georgia Tech researchers who were supported by NASA. It lasted 7.39 seconds and struck the ground below in various spots more than 100 times. This distance beats out the previous record megaflash of 477.2 miles set April 29, 2020, in the southern United States, according to a comprehensive database of weather records maintained by the World Meteorological Organization. You can see the vein-like appearance of the new record megaflash shaded in green in the analysis below. The blue and red dots show where cloud-to-ground lightning strikes occurred. Scientists found this lightning flash was not previously detected because of how data was originally processed from NOAA's GOES satellite. It was discovered when data was reanalyzed last year, so that's why the year in which this new record occurred is older (2017) than the previous one (2020). "The 2017 event is notable in that it was one of the first storms where NOAA's newest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-16) documented lightning 'megaflashes' – extremely long duration/distance lightning discharge events," the World Meteorological Organization said in a press release. A Georgia Tech press release said most lightning flashes stretch 10 miles or less, but longer ones covering distances of hundreds of miles happen often enough for satellites to see them. They are typically spotted in the Great Plains, where what meteorologists call mesoscale convective systems frequently strike. These complexes of thunderstorms are notorious for producing prolific lightning as well as flash flooding, high winds, hail and sometimes tornadoes. While this megaflash is a new record for distance, it's not in the top spot for how long it lasted. A bolt of lightning in 2020 over South America last 17 seconds, or nearly 10 seconds longer than this October 2017 event in the Great Plains, as senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman wrote about. Chris Dolce has been a senior digital meteorologist with for 15 years after beginning his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s. Solve the daily Crossword
Newsweek
7 days ago
- Climate
- Newsweek
Record-Breaking 515-Mile-Long Lightning Strike Captured Over the US
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has certified a jaw-dropping new world record for the longest single lightning flash ever recorded. The lightning coursed a staggering 515 miles across the southern United States—travelling all the way from eastern Texas to near Kansas City, Missouri. The "megaflash" took place in October 2017 during a powerful thunderstorm system over the Great Plains, one of North America's most active storm zones. The lightning bolt spanned a distance that would take a commercial plane at least 90 minutes to fly. This new record clearly demonstrates the incredible power of the natural environment Professor Randall Cerveny "This new record clearly demonstrates the incredible power of the natural environment," said Professor Randall Cerveny, rapporteur of Weather and Climate Extremes for the WMO. "It is likely that even greater extremes still exist, and that we will be able to observe them as additional high-quality lightning measurements accumulate over time." This flash surpassed the previous record holder: a 477.2 mile flash, set in the U.S. in 2020. Both records were measured using the same "great circle" distance methodology. But the 2017 event was only recently identified through re-analysis using satellite instruments, including NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-16). "These new findings highlight important public safety concerns about electrified clouds that can produce flashes which travel extremely large distances and have a major impact on the aviation sector and can spark wildfires," said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo. Satellite image of the record extent lightning flash that extended from eastern Texas to near Kansas City MO USA within a 22 October 2017 thunderstorm complex. Satellite image of the record extent lightning flash that extended from eastern Texas to near Kansas City MO USA within a 22 October 2017 thunderstorm complex. World Meteorological Organization WMO Lightning mapping has traditionally relied on ground-based systems, but recent advancements in space-based technology have expanded the observation range. Instruments like the GOES-R series' Geostationary Lightning Mappers (GLMs), Europe's MTG Lightning Imager, and China's FY-4 satellite now provide continuous global lightning surveillance. As these extreme cases show, lightning can arrive within seconds over a long distance. Walt Lyons These "megaflash" events challenge previously understood boundaries of how far and long lightning can travel and reveal more about the dangers of extreme weather. "The extremes of what lightning is capable of is difficult to study because it pushes the boundaries of what we can practically observe," said lead author and evaluation committee member Michael J. Peterson, of the Severe Storms Research Center (SSRC) at the Georgia Institute of Technology, USA in a statement. "Adding continuous measurements from geostationary orbit was a major advance. We are now at a point where most of the global megaflash hotspots are covered by a geostationary satellite—and data processing techniques have improved to properly represent flashes in the vast quantity of observational data at all scales," "The only lightning-safe locations are substantial buildings that have wiring and plumbing; not structures such as at a beach or bus stop. The second reliably safe location is inside a fully enclosed metal-topped vehicle; not dune buggies or motorcycles," warned WMO lightning expert Walt Lyons. "As these extreme cases show, lightning can arrive within seconds over a long distance." Other notable lightning records The WMO has recorded other noteworthy lightning events, including: The longest-lasting flash at 17.1 seconds over Uruguay and northern Argentina in 2020. The deadliest direct strike, which killed 21 people in Zimbabwe in 1975. The worst indirect strike, which killed 469 people in Egypt in 1994 after lightning ignited oil tanks that flooded the town of Dronka. Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about lightning? Let us know via science@ Reference Peterson et al. (2025). Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Artificial intelligence among new tech shaping forecasts during 2025 hurricane season
MIAMI – In light of hurricane season starting this weekend, NOAA's National Hurricane Center (NHC) provided a sneak peek into how the agency has updated its approach to forecasting hurricanes, particularly by using new technology. NHC Director Michael Brennan told FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross on Friday that some of those changes include upgrading NOAA's hurricane analysis and forecast system hurricane models this summer. They will also apply updates to how his team forecasts rapid intensification, which is when a tropical cyclone's maximum sustained winds increase by at least 35 mph in a 24-hour period. Brennan said progress has been made in this field since Katrina hit in August 2005, allowing forecasters to improve their understanding of how intensity works. Another update to the NHC's forecasting includes using a new Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, or GOES. Brennan noted how the satellite, which has been parked over the Atlantic and the eastern U.S., is already being used as the primary tool for monitoring the tropics, or the area of the Atlantic where tropical storms form. Noaa's Goes-19 Weather Satellite Begins Operations In Orbit Perhaps one of the newest types of technology the NHC will use in developing its forecasts is artificial intelligence (AI). Traditionally, some of the more accurate forecasts are developed by taking the so-called "averages" of multiple weather models. This year, meteorologists at the NHC will begin to test models produced by AI in the context of traditional modeling when they build their forecasts. "They're (AI) not going to be part of our official sort of consensus or blended models this year, but we may make some additional ones on the side that we're going to test out and see how they do and perform," Brennan said. He noted how AI might especially show a lot of promise when it comes to forecasting the path of a hurricane. However, he looks at that potential with a keen eye. "It's important for us to look at it ourselves, do our own evaluation and see how it fits in," he said. NOAA said this hurricane season is expected to see 13-19 named storms, or storms with maximum sustained winds strong enough to classify them as either tropical storms or hurricanes. In fact, NOAA predicts that 6-10 of those named storms will be hurricanes, and about half of those are expected to become major hurricanes with sustained winds of at least 111 mph. 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook FOX Weather will premiere two specials on the FOX Weather channel and FOX Weather app as the U.S. kicks off hurricane season. The first special will be "Hurricane HQ: Eye on the Season," which will air on Sunday at noon ET. In this special, FOX Weather Meteorologist Ian Oliver revisits hard-hit communities from last year's deadly storms, while Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross breaks down the driving forces behind the season ahead. On Monday at 9 a.m. ET, Norcross will answer hurricane questions live during a unique, interactive hourlong special called "Hurricane HQ&A with Bryan Norcross." How To Watch Fox Weather In addition to the two specials, FOX Weather will also kick off the official start of the 2025 hurricane season with "Hurricane HQ Week." The network's meteorologists will share the latest predictions, heartfelt stories of survival and talk with those still rebuilding from last year's destructive storms. You can watch FOX Weather on your favorite platform or streaming device and on your FOX Weather article source: Artificial intelligence among new tech shaping forecasts during 2025 hurricane season
