Phys.org, 768-km (477 mile) US megaflash lightning discharge

AI Thread Summary
A record-setting lightning flash occurred in the southern United States on April 29, 2020, measuring 768 kilometers (477.2 miles) across Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. This event, recognized by the United Nations, marked the longest detected megaflash in history. To put this distance in perspective, it is comparable to the span between New York City and Columbus, Ohio, or London and Hamburg. Additionally, another notable lightning event took place on June 18, 2020, when a flash lasting 17.1 seconds was recorded over Uruguay and northern Argentina, surpassing a previous record from March 2019. The discussion highlights the rarity and scale of such extraordinary lightning phenomena.
Astronuc
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
Messages
22,340
Reaction score
7,138
How often does something like this happen? It apparently stretched from central Texas, across Louisiana and Mississippi and into parts of Alabama, according to the image.
A single flash of lightning in the United States nearly two years ago cut across the sky for nearly 770 kilometres, setting a new world record, the United Nations said Tuesday.

The new record for the longest detected megaflash, measured in the southern US on April 29, 2020, stretched a full 768 kilometres, or 477.2 miles, across Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.

That is equivalent to the distance between New York City and Columbus, Ohio, or between London and the German city of Hamburg, the UN's World Meteorological Organization (WMO) pointed out in a statement.
https://phys.org/news/2022-02-longest-lightning-miles-states.html

I've seen 'long' lightning bolts over a large city, but nothing like that mentioned above.

A single flash that developed continuously through a thunderstorm over Uruguay and northern Argentina on June 18, 2020 lasted for 17.1 seconds—0.37 seconds longer than the previous record set on March 4, 2019, also in northern Argentina.
 
Reply
  • Like
  • Wow
Likes Astranut, jim mcnamara, DaveE and 3 others
Earth sciences news on Phys.org
So that's where the Texas electricity went that we didn't have during the ice storm.

Maybe we were beaming someone somewhere.
 
Reply
  • Haha
Likes Tom.G, Astronuc, BillTre and 1 other person

Thread 'Landslide, tsunami, seiche in Tracy Arm fjord, Alaska - 10 August 2025'

On August 10, 2025, there was a massive landslide on the eastern side of Tracy Arm fjord. Although some sources mention 1000 ft tsunami, that height represents the run-up on the sides of the fjord. Technically it was a seiche. Early View of Tracy Arm Landslide Features Tsunami-causing slide was largest in decade, earthquake center finds https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/tsunami-causing-slide-was-largest-decade-earthquake-center-finds...
View full post »

Thread 'Could an external cosmic body have influenced Earth’s geology?'

Hello, I’m currently writing a series of essays on Pangaea, continental drift, and Earth’s geological cycles. While working on my research, I’ve come across some inconsistencies in the existing theories — for example, why the main pressure seems to have been concentrated in the northern polar regions. So I’m curious: is there any data or evidence suggesting that an external cosmic body (an asteroid, comet, or another massive object) could have influenced Earth’s geology in the distant...
View full post »

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top