Lightning Frequency
WorldPhysical EnvironmentLightning flashes per square kilometer per year (flashes/km²/year)
NASAA global map shows lightning flashes per square kilometer per year (flashes per square kilometer per year).
The map illustrates global lightning frequency. Areas with less than 0.1 flashes per square kilometer per year are shaded in light green and include most ocean regions, northern Canada, the Sahara Desert, and parts of western and northern Europe. Areas with 0.1 flashes per square kilometer per year are shaded in light yellow and are scattered along parts of oceanic regions and coastal regions. Regions with 0.2 flashes per square kilometer per year are shaded in light purple and include parts of oceanic regions, coastal regions in the north of Canada and Russia. Areas with 0.4 flashes per square kilometer per year are shaded in red and are scattered along the Atlantic ocean, coastal regions on the north of Russia, Indian Ocean, and Pacific ocean. Areas with 0.6 flashes per square kilometer per year to 1 flash per square kilometer per year are shaded in blue to light green, covering northern Canada, the contiguous United States (excluding the Southeast), parts of South America, much of northern region of Europe, most of Africa south of the Sahara, and most of South, East, and Southeast Asia, including south of Australia. Areas experiencing 2 to 10 flashes per square kilometer per year, indicated by pink to blue shades, include the Southeastern United States, parts of Central and South America, and large areas in Africa, South, East, and Southeast Asia. High lightning frequency regions (20 to 50 flashes per square kilometer per year) are highlighted in dark pink to dark red, located in Southeastern United States, Colombia in South America, Central Africa (notably the Democratic Republic of Congo), and Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
Lightning Frequency | <0.1 flashes/km²/year | 0.1 flashes/km²/year | 0.2 flashes/km²/year | 0.4 flashes/km²/year | 0.6 flashes/km²/year | 0.8 flashes/km²/year | 1 flash/km²/year | 2 flashes/km²/year | 4 flashes/km²/year | 6 flashes/km²/year | 8 flashes/km²/year | 10 flashes/km²/year | 20 flashes/km²/year | 30 flashes/km²/year | Class | Rank | Kilotons per year | Bad Creek Hydroelectric Power Plant SC USA | Bath County Pumped Storage Hydroelecric Power Plant VA USA | Beauharnois Hydroelectric Power Plant Canada | Bersimis-1 Hydroelectric Power Plant Canada | Blenheim Gilboa Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Plant NY USA | Bonneville Hydro Power Plant OR USA | Boundary Dam Hydro Power Plant WA USA | Castaic Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Plant CA USA | Chief Joseph Hydro Power Plant WA USA | Churchill Falls Hydroelectric Generating Station Canada | G M Shrum (W.A.C. Bennett) Hydroelectric Power Plant Canada | Glen Canyon Dam Hydro Power Plant AZ USA | Grand Coulee Hydro Power Plant WA USA | Helms Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Plant CA USA | Hoover Dam Hydro Power Plant AZ/NV USA | John Day Hydro Power Plant OR USA | Kettle Rapids Hydroelectric generating Station Canada | La Grande-1 Hydroelectric Generating Station Canada | La Grande-2-A Hydroelectric Generating Station Canada | La grande-3 Hydroelectric Generating Station Canada | La grande-4 Hydroelectric Generating Station Canada | Limestone Hydroelectric Generating Station Canada | Long Spruce Hydroelectric Geneerating Station Canada | Ludington Hydro Power Plant MI USA | Manic-2 (Jean-Lesage) Hydroelectric Generating Station Canada | Manic-3 (Rene-Levesque) Hydroelectric Generating Station Canada | Manic-5 Hydroelectric Generating Station Canada | Manic-5-PA Hydroelectric generating Station Canada | Mica Creek Hydroelectric Power Plant Canada | Muddy Run Pumped Storage Hydro Power Plant PA USA | Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Hydro Power Plant MA USA | Outardes-3 Hydroelectric Power Plant Canada | R.H. Saunders Hydroelectric Power Plant Canada | Raccoon Mountain Pumped Storage Hydro Power Plant TN USA | Revelstoke Hydroelectric Power Plant Canada | Robert Moses Niagara Hydro Power Plant NY USA | Robert-Bourassa Hydroelectric Generating Station Canada | Rocky Mountain Pumped Storage Hydro Hydro Power Plant GA USA | Rocky Reach Hydro Power Plant WA USA | Sir Adam Beck II Hydroelectric Generating Station Canada | The Dalles Hydro Power Plant OR USA | Toktogul Hydroelectric Power Plant Kyrgyzstan | Wanapum Hydro Power Plant WA USA | |
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| 24.4% | 16.4% | 8.63% | 6.27% | 9.50% | 4.67% | 3.58% | 14.1% | 25.7% | 10.1% | 11.3% | 14.8% | 42.6% | 30.6% | 47.1% | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||