Overview

• The WMO Committee on Weather and Climate Extremes has officially validated a 829-kilometer lightning flash as the longest on record.
• The bolt occurred during an October 2017 storm over the U.S. Great Plains, stretching from eastern Texas to the outskirts of Kansas City and exceeding the previous mark by 61 kilometers.
• Measurements were derived from archival data captured by NOAA’s GOES-16 and GOES-17 satellites, illustrating advances in continent-scale lightning tracking.
• In light of the finding, the WMO has issued safety recommendations emphasizing that only sturdy buildings with electrical and plumbing systems or fully enclosed metal-roofed vehicles offer reliable lightning protection.
• Researchers warn that further record-setting events are likely to emerge as satellite and ground-based observation networks continue to improve.