Lightning Data for USA

[NZstorm]

I found this interesting. Would be interesting to know comparative figures for NZ. Met Service do collect this type of data.

top ten states according to flashes per square mile 1995-2006 according to Vaisala, who runs the National Lightning Detection Network, and the NWS.
1. Florida 26.3
2. Louisiana 21.1
3. Mississippi 18.4
4. Alabama 16.5
5. South Carolina 14.8
6. Tennessee 14.4
7. Indiana 14.3
8. Georgia 14.2
9. Oklahoma 13.8
10. Missouri 13.7

[Gary Roberts]

I guess Indiana is the standout in that list, although the southern part is right down there with the others...so maybe it's not the standout, unless the strikes were mainly in the northern part...

[gllitz]

I found this interesting. Would be interesting to know comparative figures for NZ. Met Service do collect this type of data.

top ten states according to flashes per square mile 1995-2006 according to Vaisala, who runs the National Lightning Detection Network, and the NWS.
1. Florida 26.3
2. Louisiana 21.1
3. Mississippi 18.4
4. Alabama 16.5
5. South Carolina 14.8
6. Tennessee 14.4
7. Indiana 14.3
8. Georgia 14.2
9. Oklahoma 13.8
10. Missouri 13.7

This doesn't suprise me, really, given 5 of the top 8 are all near the Gulf of Mexico...lots of hot, humid, unstable air in those parts (ok, SC can be considered near the Gulf as well, even though it doesn't directly border the Gulf, but close enough)...Indiana does stick out...go figure...still interesting figures, though

[Manukau heads obs]

what would be maybe more usefull would be those figures over the april/may/june period
(instead of the whole year (where the western states like KA, CO, loose out over the winter, being colder and drier?)

[Gary Roberts]

This doesn't suprise me, really, given 5 of the top 8 are all near the Gulf of Mexico...lots of hot, humid, unstable air in those parts (ok, SC can be considered near the Gulf as well, even though it doesn't directly border the Gulf, but close enough)...Indiana does stick out...go figure...still interesting figures, though

Heck yeah. I'd hate to be a comms tech in the southern states! I wonder how much gear has to be replaced every year due to lightning damage?

[gllitz]

This doesn't suprise me, really, given 5 of the top 8 are all near the Gulf of Mexico...lots of hot, humid, unstable air in those parts (ok, SC can be considered near the Gulf as well, even though it doesn't directly border the Gulf, but close enough)...Indiana does stick out...go figure...still interesting figures, though

Heck yeah. I'd hate to be a comms tech in the southern states! I wonder how much gear has to be replaced every year due to lightning damage?

I reckon!!! Haven't googled it, but my guess would be in the 10's of millions...

[Willoughby]

I'm actually a bit suprised New Mexico isn't on that list.

But yeah, I guess during Summer, the moist feed from the Gulf takes over from around this time of year until September over the southeast.

I found this interesting. Would be interesting to know comparative figures for NZ. Met Service do collect this type of data.

Yes some of that data would be interesting. NASA collect a bit of sparse data from satellite regarding flash count... here's the high-res map.
http://thunder.nsstc.nasa.gov/images/HR ... te_cap.jpg

No suprises on where the most lightning-prone region is. (Waikato )
That little area of cyan around coastal Otago is interesting... and also the vacancy of annual strikes over northern Hawke's Bay. I would've expected a few more strikes over Northland... maybe the MetService's data will vary a bit?

But looking at that world map, just goes to show NZ is a very fickle place for thunder. Could be worse though living in Scandinavia, Scotland/Ireland, Iceland, Alaska, Egypt!

[Manukau heads obs]

You sure do find some amazing web sites there Foggy.
I like that world lightning strike map. Very Interesting
You can see why there are so many UK chasers in the Midwest!

[NZstorm]

Yes an amazing lightning map there. Would be interesting to see the Met Service data though. Pity its not available to the public. And I agree Waikato is likely NZ's thunderstorm capital.

I believe New Mexico is second to Florida for 'thunder days'.

[Manukau heads obs]

the problem with New Mexico would be that the data was for annual....i.e Florida has a long thunderstorm season, compared to say NM, which has a much shorter season....yes?

[Weather Watcher]

I should be able to get you some NZ data, but I'm off work for the next few days, so it may take a week or so. Waikato is actually not NZ's lightning capital. The west coast of the South Island wins easily (maximum is near Ross), and even in the North Island, from memory I think that places like eastern Bay of Plenty (east of Opotiki) and possibly the southwestern part of the North Island have more strikes per annum.

[NZstorm]

I should be able to get you some NZ data

Would be very interested to see that data Weather Watcher, thanks.

A thought on the lightning count versus thunder days. Westland gets a few days a year where the lightning count is really cranked up by particularly intense thunderstorms.

[spwill]

Mountain area's of New Mexico get a lot of TS but the Junky type, not so much Lightning.

I would say the Waikato area would have the most days with thunder for the NI and the SI West Coast for NZ.