Catatumbo lightning
E645390
Catatumbo lightning is a unique atmospheric phenomenon over Venezuela characterized by near-continuous, intense nocturnal thunderstorms that produce some of the highest lightning flash rates in the world.
Statements (50)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
atmospheric phenomenon
ⓘ
lightning phenomenon ⓘ |
| associatedWith |
Lake breeze circulation
ⓘ
mesoscale convective systems ⓘ |
| attracts |
storm chasers
ⓘ
tourists interested in extreme weather ⓘ |
| averageDurationPerNight | up to 9 hours per night ⓘ |
| averageFlashesPerHour | up to 280 lightning flashes per hour ⓘ |
| averageFlashesPerSquareKilometerPerYear | among highest in the world ⓘ |
| averageFrequencyPerYear | around 260 nights per year ⓘ |
| climateType | tropical ⓘ |
| cloudType | cumulonimbus clouds ⓘ |
| country | Venezuela ⓘ |
| culturalSignificance |
featured in Venezuelan folklore
ⓘ
symbol of Zulia state ⓘ |
| drivenBy |
convergence of trade winds
ⓘ
interaction of warm, moist air from Caribbean Sea and cool air from Andes ⓘ local topography around Lake Maracaibo ⓘ |
| GuinnessRecordFor | highest concentration of lightning ⓘ |
| hasCharacteristic |
frequent cloud-to-cloud lightning
ⓘ
high lightning flash rate ⓘ intense electrical storms ⓘ minimal thunder audible at distance ⓘ near-continuous nocturnal thunderstorms ⓘ |
| hasWeatherPattern | frequent evening convection ⓘ |
| historicallyUsedFor | navigation by sailors in Caribbean ⓘ |
| influencedBy | large-scale climate patterns such as El Niño–Southern Oscillation ⓘ |
| knownSince | pre-Columbian times ⓘ |
| lightningType | predominantly intra-cloud lightning ⓘ |
| locatedIn |
Catatumbo River mouth
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Lake Maracaibo region NERFINISHED ⓘ Zulia state NERFINISHED ⓘ northwestern Venezuela NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| nameDerivedFrom | Catatumbo River NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| notableFor | being a natural lighthouse ⓘ |
| observedVariability | year-to-year changes in frequency ⓘ |
| occursOver | Lake Maracaibo NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| potentialImpact |
affects local air chemistry
ⓘ
contributes to regional nitrogen fixation in atmosphere ⓘ |
| recognizedBy | Guinness World Records NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| risk |
hazard to local communities
ⓘ
risk to infrastructure ⓘ |
| seasonality | most frequent during wet season ⓘ |
| studiedBy |
climatologists
ⓘ
meteorologists ⓘ |
| studiedUsing |
ground-based lightning detection networks
ⓘ
satellite observations ⓘ |
| tourismAttraction | yes ⓘ |
| typicalTimeOfDay | night ⓘ |
| visibleFrom | hundreds of kilometers away at sea ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.