If you want an organic light show this summer, you could head to Venezuela, home to the beautiful Catatumbo Lightning. Here, nature’s fireworks shoots off almost nightly in a vivid display. But what causes this brilliant phenomenon to occur in this particular spot?
This storm soup is formed from the humidity of the region mixing with winds from nearby swampy plains. The aforementioned mixture sets the stage for a truly amazing light show! Storm clouds form, rising to heights of a half mile or more before unleashing their beautifully blinding array.
Lake Maracaibo, a large bay, is home to this lightning phenomenon. Catacumbo Lightning’s name comes from the fact that this atmospheric condition occurs at the mouth of the Cataumbo River.
During the peak of the season, onlookers can expect bolts shooting more than 280 times per hour, up to ten hours! The stunning display has become so popular that local fishing villages have become tourist destinations for those wanting to witness nature’s fireworks show for themselves.
The lightning has been flashing overhead in Venezuela for decades. As early as 1579, poet Lope de Vega wrote of the phenomenon in his work La Dragontea. Also called the “Lighthouse of Maracaibo,” it has even become part of the official coat of arms and flag for the region.
There is some evidence that it can be affected by environmental changes. From January to March of 2010, there was no lightning at all, which caused great alarm to the locals who thought their unique claim to fame had been extinguished. The lightning returned, however, its brief absence attributed to a drought that had occurred in the area. On the plus side, there is some supposition that this vast a quantity of lightning generates a large amount of ozone, which could be beneficial to the atmosphere.
Related article: Common Types of Clouds in the Sky
Featured Image from Johannes Plenio/Unsplash
