Higher temperatures and rainfall could increase the chances of urban lightning strikes

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-09-25 09:01

International

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Higher temperatures and rainfall could increase the chances of urban lightning strikes, according to international researchers, who analysed the geographic, climatic, and urban variables of 349 cities worldwide to try to figure out why urbanisation often leads to increased local lightning frequency. The team found that cities with higher temperatures and more rainfall than their surroundings are more likely to show lightning strikes, especially in warmer and wetter regions and in cities with larger urban areas and nearer to the equator.

Media release

From: The Royal Society

Effects of urbanization on cloud-to-ground lightning strike frequency: a global perspective

Journal of the Royal Society Interface

Urban areas often experience more frequent lightning, known as "lightning enhancement." We analyzed how likely and strong this phenomenon is by studying the geographic, climatic, and urban variables of 349 cities worldwide. We found that cities with higher temperatures and precipitation than their surroundings are more likely to show lightning enhancement, especially in warmer and wetter regions. The strongest enhancement effects were also in cities with higher urban precipitation and temperatures, as well as larger urban areas and nearer the equator. These findings suggest that urban heat and high urban precipitation are critical drivers of city lightning enhancement.

Journal/
conference: Journal of the Royal Society Interface

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama

Funder: The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) provided logistical support. This work was partially funded by an STRI Earl S. Tupper Fellowship and by grants from the National Science Foundation (DEB-2213246 to S.P.Y.; DEB-2213247 to P.M.B.; and DEB-2213245 to E.M.G.).

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