Where can you see Catatumbo lightning?

Where can you see Catatumbo lightning?

The Catatumbo Lightning, also known as the Beacon of Maracaibo or the “everlasting storm”, is seasonal lightning around Lake Maracaibo (13,200 square kilometres) in northern Venezuela.

How far away can the Catatumbo lightning be seen?

The Catatumbo lightning is bright enough that it can be seen 400 km (250 miles) away and colonial sailors were said to use it for navigation.

What causes Catatumbo?

It originates from a mass of storm clouds over nearby mountains, and occurs during 1 nights a year, 10 hours per day and up to 280 times per hour. It occurs over and around Lake Maracaibo, typically over the bog area formed where the Catatumbo River flows into the lake.

Is lightning hotter than the sun?

Air is a very poor conductor of electricity and gets extremely hot when lightning passes through it. ... In fact, lightning can heat the air it passes through to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5 times hotter than the surface of the sun).

Is there a place where lightning never stops?

Catatumbo lightning (Spanish: Relámpago del Catatumbo) is an atmospheric phenomenon that occurs over the mouth of the Catatumbo River where it empties into Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela.

What's the worst thunderstorm in history?

DES MOINES, Iowa -- The derecho storm in Iowa from this summer is the most expensive thunderstorm disaster in U.S. history. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is estimating total damage valued at $7.5 billion.

How often is the Eiffel Tower struck by lightning?

Lightning and the Eiffel Tower Since its birth in 1889, the monument has "attracted" lightning during storms – there are on average 5 impacts every year.

What color lightning is the strongest?

What Color Lightning is the Strongest?

• Blue – this color of lightning is an indication that a high precipitation storm is occurring with chances of hail. ...
• Purple – this color of lightning occurs when there is high humidity in the atmosphere and is typically accompanied by high precipitation.

What is red lightning?

Sprites, also known as red lightning, are electrical discharges that appear as bursts of red light above clouds during thunderstorms. ... The researchers hope to learn more about the physical and chemical processes that give rise to sprites and other forms of upper atmospheric lightning.

What is the biggest thunderstorm ever?

Throughout human history, there were many huge and dangerous thunderstorms, but the biggest one recorded was in India, and it occurred on December 1st, 2014. It was the highest voltage thunderstorm ever recorded, with 1.3 billion volts.

Where can you see the Catatumbo lightning event?

This amazing spectacle of nature is often visible as a brightly illuminated night sky from as far away as 400 kilometers from the origin of the lightning strikes. 4. Like Nothing Else In The World The Catatumbo lightning events are like no other phenomenon in the world.

How many storm days does the Catatumbo River have?

That last one might be a slight exaggeration but where the Catatumbo River meets Lake Maracaibo there is an average of 260 storm days per year. Here the night sky is regularly illuminated for nine hours with thousands of flashes of naturally produced electricity.

When did Alexander von Humboldt describe the Catatumbo lightning?

The Prussian naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt described it in 1826. And Italian geographer Agustin Codazzi described it in 1841 as "like a continuous lightning, and its position such that, located almost on the meridian of the mouth of the lake, it directs the navigators as a lighthouse."

What causes the Catatumbo lightning storm in Venezuela?

The storms are believed to be caused by the collision of warm air from the Caribbean with cool air from the Andes mountains. Picture: Fernando Flores Source:Supplied