When was the most significant lightning storm

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As the WMO notes in its statement, the potential destructive power of megaflashes underscores the need for caution during major storms.

The organization reminds people to follow the rule: if the time between thunder and lightning is less than 30 seconds, go inside, and stay inside for at least 30 minutes after the last flash. Nora McGreevy is a daily correspondent for Smithsonian. She can be reached through her website, noramcgreevy. Lightning flashes over Sao Paulo, Brazil in The findings about the lightning records were published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters , a publication of the American Geophysical Union.

Lightning is a major hazard that claims many lives every year, the WMO said. Just in the U. On Thursday in India, 83 people, mostly farmworkers, were killed by lightning during thunderstorms in Bihar state. Facebook Twitter Email. World record longest lightning flash of miles confirmed.