Jun 26, 2020 14:00:00

A huge lightning with a total length of 700 km, the world record of 'length of lightning' is updated

A '709 km lightning thunder,' which sets a new record for the length of lightning that has been observed, has been observed in Brazil. It was said that this lightning was of a scale that would overtake the longest-recording lightning ever observed in Oklahoma, USA in June 2007 with a double score.

WMO certifies Megaflash lightning extremes | World Meteorological Organization

https://public.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/wmo-certifies-megaflash-lightning-extremes

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) , a specialized agency of the United Nations, recorded lightning records recorded on different days in Brazil and Argentina on June 26, 2020, for a single lightning length and a single lightning length, respectively. Certified as a new world record for 'thunder duration'.

The longest record of lightning in the world was set by the 709 km long lightning observed in southern Brazil on October 31, 2018.

If you look at the image of the observation record by the population satellite GOES-16 released by the United States Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) , you can see how the thunderstorm that occurred in southern Brazil is covering the whole of Brazil while moving northward.

BREAKING: The @WMO just announced that @NOAA #satellites helped it confirm two new #WorldRecords for #lightning --the longest single lightning bolt (captured by #GOES16's #GLM above) and the greatest single lightning flash duration! Get the details here: https://t.co/ZHItdC63yZ pic.twitter.com/sfdsNVU4Bh

— NOAA Satellites-Public Affairs (@NOAASatellitePA) June 25, 2020

To date, the longest lightning strike in the world was observed in Oklahoma, USA on June 20, 2007, and was 321 km long. Therefore, the thunder this time is well over twice the length of the past world record.

WMO also announced that the longest lightning duration record was also updated. The lightning observed in Argentina on March 4, 2019 was discharged for 16.73 seconds. The record of lightning duration observed so far was 7.74 seconds of lightning observed in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region of France. So with this announcement, both the length and duration of lightning have been more than doubled.

Randall Cerveny, the WMO's chief reporter on extreme weather events, said: 'The world record released this time is a threatening record of a single lightning discharge event, and what nature causes. It is a raw measure of the tremendousness of the phenomena that can occur, and is also a testament to the scientific progress that has made it possible to measure such phenomena.'

On the other hand, WMO pointed out that 'This record update emphasizes serious concern that lightning can spread over a very wide range,' and said '30-30 rules to protect against lightning' I called for thoroughness. The '30-30 rule' is a safety measure that 'if you hear two or more thunders and if the interval is within 30 seconds , you should evacuate indoors and refrain from outdoor activities for 30 minutes after hearing the last thunder.' ..

As the past record of thunderstorms, the highest direct damage record was reported when 21 people who were staying in the rain died of a lightning strike due to a thunderstorm in Zimbabwe in 1975. In 1994, lightning generated in Asyut Governorate, Egypt exploded an oil storage tank, causing fuel ignited by a flood to a nearby village, killing 469 people. It is a record.