Ocean thunderstorms generate the most intense lightning ever observed

A new type of thunderstorm, responsible for the most intense lightning ever observed, has been identified by analysing satellite observations.

Eighty per cent of lightning occurs over land, where thunderstorms are thought to be stronger. But in terms of lightning density, which is the number of lightning flashes in a given time and area, the most extreme storms actually take place over the ocean, largely in the Gulf of Mexico and east of South Africa, according to research by Michael Peterson…