Catatumbo lightning: a torrent of current
Catatumbo lightning is a mesmerising natural phenomenon that occurs over the Catatumbo River in Venezuela, where lightning strikes almost continuously. This phenomenon primarily happens at the mouth of the Catatumbo River, where it meets Lake Maracaibo, the largest lake in Venezuela. A convergence of several factors give rise to the unique conditions required for Catatumbo lightning. Warm, moist air from the
Caribbean Sea is pushed towards the Andes mountains, where it collides with cooler air descending from the peaks. This collision creates a perfect storm of sorts, as the warmer air is forced to rise rapidly by the shape of the local landscape. And as it does, it cools and condenses, forming towering cumulonimbus clouds.
Meanwhile, the combination of strong winds and temperature dierentials generates electrical charges within these clouds. The cumulonimbus clouds — sometimes reaching heights of more than 5 km — load up on static electricity. When the electrical potential within the clouds becomes too great, it discharges in the form of lightning. Catatumbo lightning is distinguished by its frequency and duration: the strikes occur for up to 160 nights in a year, with an average of 28 lightning strikes per minute at its peak. Thanks to this constant flow of current, the area has earned the title of “the lightning capital of the world”.