The World-Wide Lightning Location Network can monitor about 30% of all lightning strikes around the world.  They currently have 46 monitoring sites that pick up the strikes.  By next year they plan to have 60 and hope to pick up all strikes around the world.  They  believe this will be a great forecast tool for many events including hurricanes, volcanoes and for commercial aircraft.  They also want to check out if the little amount of nitrogen oxides that are released during a strike affect air quality. 

The monitoring systems are spaced out 1864 miles from each other.  The pulse from the strike can usually travel the distance and reach one of the monitoring sites.  Since hurricanes are far out at sea they believe this will help to monitor the storm especially if the intensity is increasing.  From their research with Emily, Katrina and Rita in 2005 they noticed that lightning spikes when the hurricane is going to strengthen or weaken.  Another big element has been with volcanoes, they noticed that there is alot of strikes inside an ash cloud from an eruption that can affect commercial planes.     

Every second around the world there are 63 lightning strikes. 

Have a great night! Meteorologist Kristen Connolly

Posted under Science, Severe Weather, Weather History

As the severe weather season kicks into gear across the plains, the largest severe weather research team ever assembled is reading to hunt down the seasons most destructive storms.  On May 10th, over 15 organizations will launch VORTEX 2.  According to N.O.A.A., “VORTEX 2 is the largest most ambitious attempt to study tornadoes in history and will involve more than 50 scientists, 40 research vehicles, including 10 mobile radars.”  The group plans to chase and study tornadoes across tornado alley for over a month.

Results from the experiment will be presented this fall at Penn State University.  This campaign follows the original “VORTEX” research done in 1994 and 1995.  Scientists hope this years study will lead to a better understanding of how and why tornadoes form and how we can more accurately predict them. 

How exciting…there are so many people who chase tornadoes every season.  The funding and knowledge can vary from each group.  I’ve seen heavily funded groups with all the tools including a Doppler on wheels.  And all the way down to mom and dad with the kids in the back of the pick up truck chasing storms down dirt roads.  To actually have this collaboration of the best of the best can only be a great thing.  Research done during this month, could improve storm forecasting in decades to come. 

Meteorologist Brian Niznansky

Posted under Severe Weather, Spring, Storms