Lightning megaflash of 829 kilometres sets new world record

TDT | Geneva

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A new world record for the longest distance lightning flash was declared on Thursday -- a megaflash that stretched for 829 kilometres (515 miles) across the United States. The huge flash occurred on October 22, 2017, from eastern Texas to near Kansas City, the World Meteorological Organization said.

The United Nations’ WMO weather agency said the megaflash underlined the epic power of lightning -- and how flashes can pose dangers far from the original storm.

The previous record, also observed in the United States, happened on April 29, 2020 between Mississippi and Texas, with a lightning flash of 768 kilometres. It was certified as a record in 2022.

Both the previous and new records have a margin of error of plus or minus eight kilometres. The 2017 storm produced several huge flashes. Three were analysed and were enough to formulate a ground-breaking definition of megaflash lightning. Going back and re-examining the data from the landmark storm led to the discovery of a hitherto overlooked megaflash that was bigger than the one in 2020.