Map Of Southern Africa Indicating Lightning Densities

Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) data have been analysed to ascertain the statistical pattern of lightning occurrence over southern Africa. The diurnal and seasonal variations are mapped in detail. The highest flash rates (107.2 km−2y−1) occur close to the equator but maxima are also found over Madagascar (32.1 km−2y−1) and South Africa (26.4 km−2y−1). A feature of the statistics is a relatively steady contribution from over the ocean off the east coast of South Africa that appears to be associated with the Agulhas current.

Map Courtesy Of:
A. B. Collier1,2, A. R.W. Hughes1, J. Lichtenberger3, and P. Steinbach4
1School of Physics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 4041, Durban, South Africa
2Alfv´en Laboratory, Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44, Stockholm, Sweden
3Space Research Group, E¨otv¨os University, Budapest, Pf 32, H-1518, Hungary
4Research Group for Geoinformatics and Space Sciences, E¨otv¨os University, Budapest, Pf 32, H-1518 Hungary