Home
Weather London
WeatherRadar
RainfallRadar
TemperatureRadar
WindRadar
LightningRadar
Weather News
Editor's Pick
Discover the app
Weather widget
Contact us
Apps
Career
    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
Heatwave versus storm system. Contrasts in Europe. . . Tuesday, 7 July 2026
A temperature map of Europe showing a major heatwave in the south-west and significantly cooler air in the north. Two thermometer symbols illustrate the stark contrast in temperature.
Tuesday, 7 July 2026

Contrasts in Europe

Heatwave versus storm system
Cooler nights and lower dew points. Less oppressive heatwave. . . Thursday, 9 July 2026
Split image showing the London skyline in hazy golden sunset light in the left and an overnight temperature map of the UK and Ireland on the right, with minimum temperatures ranging from 13°C in northeast Scotland to 18°C in southern England.
Thursday, 9 July 2026

Less oppressive heatwave

Cooler nights and lower dew points
The monsoon has India firmly in its grip. Severe thunderstorms. . . Thursday, 9 July 2026
Satellite map of South Asia showing the weather situation over India. An arrow marks a low-pressure system over western and central India, which is causing heavy showers and thunderstorms. Thick clouds and rainfall extend across large parts of India as far as the Himalayas and into Bangladesh. Over Pakistan and south-eastern Iran, however, it is mainly sunny and hot, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees.
Thursday, 9 July 2026

Severe thunderstorms

The monsoon has India firmly in its grip
All weather news
This might also interest you
Long-term trends need a pinch of salt. 40 °C in July?. . . Tuesday, 30 June 2026
Temperature radar of 2022 heatwave where the all-time temperature record in the UK was set. Warning symbol overlain.
Tuesday, 30 June 2026

40 °C in July?

Long-term trends need a pinch of salt
A frozen start to the weekend. Icy conditions. . . Friday, 13 February 2026
UK temperature map dated 14.02 showing widespread subzero values in blue shading, with readings such as −4 in Glasgow, −3 in Dublin, and −2 in London, alongside a blue thermometer icon.
Friday, 13 February 2026

Icy conditions

A frozen start to the weekend
Flooding, gales, and heavy snow. Storm Chandra. . . Tuesday, 27 January 2026
Split image showing aerial flooding in a town with muddy water covering roads on the left, and a rural road on the right blocked by heavy snowfall with vans stopped and a person walking in snow.
Tuesday, 27 January 2026

Storm Chandra

Flooding, gales, and heavy snow
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