Where you are most likely to die from being ‘struck by lightning’
While the phrase "struck by lightning" can figuratively signify a sudden realisation or intense love, in reality, it refers to being hit by a powerful electrical discharge from the sky—a dangerous and sometimes fatal event.
Lightning strikes happen more frequently than many realise, occurring across the world in various regions. In January, a British Airways plane was struck by lightning at São Paulo’s International Guarulhos Airport just before takeoff.
Though this incident was not fatal, other cases have had tragic consequences. On March 22, a student in Odisha, India, was killed while returning home from playing cricket in the rain. A day later, two people were killed and four others injured in India’s Chhattisgarh state, and an Israeli tourist was struck by lightning while vacationing on a beach in Sri Lanka.
Where the most lightning strikes happen
Although lightning is unpredictable, knowing where strikes are most common and how they occur can help reduce risks. Certain regions of the world experience significantly higher lightning activity than others, increasing the risk of fatal strikes.
Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela
Lake Maracaibo, South America's largest inland water body, holds the record for the highest frequency of lightning strikes. Known as the "Lightning Capital of the World," this region experiences lightning nearly 300 days per year, with up to 60 flashes per minute, totalling around 1,176,000 flashes annually. This phenomenon has earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records.
Democratic Republic of Congo
With an annual frequency of 205 lightning strikes per square kilometre, Kabare district in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is another global hotspot. The DRC is considered the most thunderstorm-prone country on Earth.
Pakistan
Three regions in Pakistan, particularly Daggar in the Hindu Kush foothills, experience some of Asia’s most intense thunderstorms. The highest monthly lightning frequency in the world has been recorded here during the monsoon season in July and August, surpassing even the most thunderstorm-prone months in the Congo.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
While ranking only tenth in Asia for lightning frequency, Kuala Lumpur holds the title of the world's most lightning-prone capital city, with a flash rate density (FRD) of 93 lightning strikes per square kilometre annually.
Central America and the United States
Guatemala’s Sierra Madre foothills experience frequent thunderstorms. Two of its regions have an FRD of 117 and 103 lightning strikes per square kilometre per year, making them the most lightning-prone areas in North America.
In the United States, the most lightning-active region is Orangetree, Florida, with activity peaking in July.
How you can get ‘struck by lightning’
Some of the ways a person can be struck, according to the American Weather Service, can be through a direct strike when a person is in an open area and lightning directly hits them, a side flash when lightning strikes a taller object nearby and a portion of the current jumps to the victim, or a ground current when lightning strikes an object such as a tree and the energy travels outward through the ground, affecting those nearby.
