Home / Weather News /

It's in the forecast: Eight facts about lightning

15:30
12 April 2023

It's in the forecast
Eight facts about lightning

lightning

With thunder and lightning returning to the forecast today, did you know these fascinating facts?

Here are some curious facts about lightning:

  • There are over 100 lightning strikes every second around the world, leading to over 8.6 million lightning strikes every day. That’s a lot of electricity.
  • In the UK and Ireland, lightning is most common from May to August.
  • The south, and east of both the UK and Ireland are more prone to lightning than other areas.
  • Potentially dangerous cloud-to-ground strikes make up only one-quarter of all lightning generated by thunderstorms.
  • Most other incidences of lightning are within the cloud, and this is known as sheet lightning.
  • Lightning is unsurprisingly hotter than the sun. On average, lightning can be as hot as 30,000 degrees. That’s five times hotter than the sun!
  • The phrase “lightning never strikes the same place twice” is actually not correct. Lightning will strike the same places multiple times. The Empire State Building in New York gets struck about 23 times every year.
  • Lastly, while 85% of lightning strike victims are men, women's fatality rate is greater.

Have you witnessed both types of lightning? Share your shots here!

How do thunderstorms develop?read more
Weather & Radar editorial team
More on the topic
Weather radar showing clouds and showers over Algeria and Morocco. Next to it, a warning map with the rain area in Algeria marked. Surrounding regions mostly sunny and dry.
Thursday, 18 December 2025

Algeria affected

Rain in the desert
Shooting stars, part of the Geminid meteor shower.
Saturday, 13 December 2025

Spot a shooting star

King of meteor showers at its peak
People walk through muddy streets after heavy rain, alongside a rain map of Morocco.
Tuesday, 16 December 2025

New rainfall in sight

Fatalities in Moroccan floods
All weather news
This might also interest you
Mammatus clouds
Thursday, 21 August 2025

Unusual view

Mammatus clouds over Ireland
plit image showing a double rainbow over a rocky shoreline on the left and sheep grazing in a green field under stormy clouds on the right.
Sunday, 2 November 2025

Your weather - Your shots

Mixed conditions on an unsettled week
Monday, 25 August 2025

Bank holiday outlook

Warm day turning gusty in places
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwittertikToklinkList