Lightning of Catatumbo, the eternal storm of Venezuela

The phenomenon can be observed from April to November, from 20:00 hours until dawn, during 240 nights a year.

Venezuelan storms generate a high amount of ozone resulting in 10% of the layer of our planet. Because of its unique potentialities, local nature advocates seek to classify it as a world heritage site under the protection of Unesco.

The Wari Indians offer a curious explanation of lightning: according to them, it is due to the gathering of millions of fireflies that pay tribute to the creation's parents.

The Guinness Organization delivered on January 28, 2014, the certification that recognizes the Catatumbo Lightning, a unique meteorological phenomenon that is generated to the south of Lake Maracaibo, in the Zulia state, in the west of Venezuela, as the place of the world of highest concentration of lightning in the world.

The history books show that the lightning has had a preponderant role for Venezuela, saving it from two invasions: the first was in 1595 when it illuminated the flotilla of the English corsair Francis Drake who intended to plunder the city of Maracaibo, at that time, under Spanish control. A quarter of a century later, during the war for the independence of Venezuela in 1823, the imposing flashes of lightning ignited the sky for hours and betrayed the Spanish armada trying to sneak towards the shore.

Thanks to the frequency and brightness of its beam, visible up to 400 kilometers away, the storm has been used as a guide by sailors since colonial times, earning the nickname of "Faro de Maracaibo" and a seat in the flag and coat of arms of his state, Zulia.

The world has a new capital of lightning: The Lake of Maracaibo! It records around 233 flashes per square kilometer per year, according to the NASA study.

The researchers had previously identified the Congo Basin of Africa as the location of maximum lightning activity. The research team constructed a very high resolution of the data set derived from 16 years of observations from space to identify the access points of the rays.

The images were captured by the Lightning Sensor carrying NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission and will allow for a better understanding of lightning activity to policy makers, government agencies and other stakeholders to make related decisions With time, weather and other phenomena.

Sources: NASA - https://www.telesurtv.net