Archive · 1 Aug 2025
Longest Lightning Bolt Stretches 829 km, WMO Reports
Imagine a giant spark of electricity, a lightning bolt, that was super long!
Scientists found one that was 829 km long, like going from Paris to Venice.
It happened in an area known for big storms.
This lightning is dangerous, so scientists study it to keep people safe.
These long lightning flashes can also cause problems like fires.
Sometimes, lightning hits places and causes other things to happen, like fires.
Scientists use special tools in space to watch storms and study lightning.
A record-breaking lightning bolt, measuring 829 km, was recorded in the Great Plains in 2017.
The lightning strike stretched from eastern Texas to near Kansas City during a major thunderstorm.
The WMO highlighted the study of lightning due to its hazards, which claim many lives annually.
The Great Plains and the La Plata basin of South America are the only places known to generate megaflashes.
Lightning can cause fatalities and indirect catastrophes, like setting oil tanks on fire.
- Who
- The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported on the lightning.
- What
- A record-breaking lightning bolt was measured at 829 km.
- When
- The record-breaking lightning strike was recorded in 2017.
- Where
- The lightning occurred in the North American Great Plains.
- Why
- The WMO studies lightning due to its hazard to public safety.
- Record Length
- 829 km
- Location
- North American Great Plains
- Date Recorded
- 2017
- Previous Record
- 768 km
- Fatalities
- Lightning can kill