WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A lightning flash in a notorious storm hotspot in the United States nearly a decade ago has been certified as the longest on record.
An incredible 829 kilometers long (515 miles) megaflash occurred during a major storm in the Great Plains in October 2017 and was 61 kilometers greater than the previous record, also set in the same region.
It extended from eastern Texas to near Kansas City, equivalent to the distance between Paris and Venice in Europe: a journey that would take roughly eight to nine hours by car, or at least 90 minutes by plane.
The flash was not identified in the original 2017 analysis of the storm but was discovered through re-examination, the World Meteorological Organization announced on Thursday.?
WMO's Committee on Weather and Climate Extremes recognized the new record with the help of the latest satellite technologies and the findings were published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.
'Lightning is a source of wonder but also a major hazard that claims many lives around the world every year and is therefore one of the priorities for the international Early Warnings for All initiative,' said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.
Launched in 2022, the initiative aims to ensure that everyone on the planet is protected from hazardous weather, water, or climate events through early warning systems by the end of 2027.
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