A flash can move away from hundreds of kilometers from the site where the main load is observed (illustration).Keystone
In 2017, a flash traveled a distance of 829 kilometers. A new record that the World Meteorological Organization (OMM) has just validated.
31.07.2025, 16:0831.07.2025, 16:08
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The World Meteorological Organization (OMM) has validated a world record for a flash. This had swallowed a distance of 829 km in 2017 in the United States, in a territory very exposed to thunderstorms.
It would take around 8 to 9 hours by car and an hour and a half by plane to do the same, the organization said in Geneva on Thursday. Lightnings can be observed on “very long distances with major repercussions in the aviation sector, not to mention the fact that they can trigger uncontrolled fires,” says Secretary General Celeste Saulo.
The OMM committee in charge of evaluations of extreme weather situations has validated this record with the most advanced satellite technologies. With a margin of error of more or less 8 km, it is 61 km greater than the previous one, also observed in the south of the United States in 2020.
Even more extreme values may exist
The lightning of 2017 had not been detected during a first analysis, notes the OMM again. It was identified during a reassessment of this storm.
“It is likely that even more extreme values exist,” adds an organization manager. A flash can move away from hundreds of kilometers from the site where the main load is observed.
An individual who is less than 10 km from where lightning is identified must protect himself. The hard buildings of sufficient dimension with an electrical infrastructure and piping constitute the only safe shelters, unlike bus stops. The interior of a fully closed metal roof vehicle is also considered suitable, but not a quad or a motorcycle. (ATS)
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