Global distribution of winter lightning: a threat to wind turbines and  aircraft

Montanyà, Joan; Fabró, Ferran; van der Velde, Oscar; March, Víctor; Williams, Earle Rolfe; Pineda, Nicolau; Romero, David; Solà, Glòria; Freijo, Modesto

doi:10.5194/nhess-16-1465-2016

Articles | Volume 16, issue 6

https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-16-1465-2016

© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-16-1465-2016

© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 16, issue 6

Research article

|

21 Jun 2016

Research article |

| 21 Jun 2016

Global distribution of winter lightning: a threat to wind turbines and aircraft

Joan Montanyà, Ferran Fabró, Oscar van der Velde, Víctor March, Earle Rolfe Williams, Nicolau Pineda, David Romero, Glòria Solà, and Modesto Freijo

Viewed

Total article views: 4,281 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)

HTML	PDF	XML	Total	BibTeX	EndNote
2,661	1,479	141	4,281	164	158

HTML: 2,661
PDF: 1,479
XML: 141
Total: 4,281
BibTeX: 164
EndNote: 158

Views and downloads (calculated since 19 Jan 2016)

Month	HTML	PDF	XML	Total
Jan 2016	110	51	0	161
Feb 2016	42	27	4	73
Mar 2016	32	9	0	41
Apr 2016	7	9	0	16
May 2016	5	9	0	14
Jun 2016	73	32	4	109
Jul 2016	30	9	2	41
Aug 2016	14	5	1	20
Sep 2016	6	18	0	24
Oct 2016	5	17	0	22
Nov 2016	8	3	1	12
Dec 2016	5	7	0	12
Jan 2017	15	15	0	30
Feb 2017	6	8	1	15
Mar 2017	18	12	1	31
Apr 2017	23	26	0	49
May 2017	22	21	0	43
Jun 2017	18	22	0	40
Jul 2017	16	22	1	39
Aug 2017	9	15	2	26
Sep 2017	15	21	0	36
Oct 2017	6	12	0	18
Nov 2017	8	9	0	17
Dec 2017	13	13	1	27
Jan 2018	17	20	3	40
Feb 2018	5	7	1	13
Mar 2018	13	11	1	25
Apr 2018	6	10	0	16
May 2018	7	10	0	17
Jun 2018	14	7	0	21
Jul 2018	9	9	3	21
Aug 2018	26	14	0	40
Sep 2018	13	17	2	32
Oct 2018	17	14	1	32
Nov 2018	30	18	1	49
Dec 2018	13	16	0	29
Jan 2019	10	10	0	20
Feb 2019	5	7	0	12
Mar 2019	8	12	2	22
Apr 2019	9	4	0	13
May 2019	6	13	0	19
Jun 2019	12	4	0	16
Jul 2019	8	10	1	19
Aug 2019	10	10	1	21
Sep 2019	32	7	0	39
Oct 2019	9	6	1	16
Nov 2019	4	45	1	50
Dec 2019	7	6	0	13
Jan 2020	17	12	2	31
Feb 2020	8	6	0	14
Mar 2020	3	9	0	12
Apr 2020	3	9	0	12
May 2020	4	4	1	9
Jun 2020	12	12	0	24
Jul 2020	23	24	7	54
Aug 2020	7	7	4	18
Sep 2020	11	11	1	23
Oct 2020	6	11	1	18
Nov 2020	19	13	2	34
Dec 2020	11	6	0	17
Jan 2021	22	8	0	30
Feb 2021	14	10	1	25
Mar 2021	21	11	1	33
Apr 2021	16	4	0	20
May 2021	63	10	0	73
Jun 2021	53	4	0	57
Jul 2021	21	11	0	32
Aug 2021	9	6	0	15
Sep 2021	19	17	1	37
Oct 2021	20	15	2	37
Nov 2021	14	19	1	34
Dec 2021	13	9	4	26
Jan 2022	16	7	0	23
Feb 2022	15	12	3	30
Mar 2022	8	8	1	17
Apr 2022	18	11	2	31
May 2022	10	4	1	15
Jun 2022	6	10	1	17
Jul 2022	11	7	0	18
Aug 2022	18	13	0	31
Sep 2022	18	7	0	25
Oct 2022	13	7	0	20
Nov 2022	45	16	1	62
Dec 2022	20	7	1	28
Jan 2023	17	12	0	29
Feb 2023	29	14	1	44
Mar 2023	31	14	3	48
Apr 2023	29	10	0	39
May 2023	52	15	4	71
Jun 2023	44	9	1	54
Jul 2023	38	9	1	48
Aug 2023	28	8	2	38
Sep 2023	25	13	1	39
Oct 2023	44	11	0	55
Nov 2023	31	4	1	36
Dec 2023	38	16	2	56
Jan 2024	38	13	1	52
Feb 2024	33	8	0	41
Mar 2024	37	7	3	47
Apr 2024	46	7	9	62
May 2024	50	13	3	66
Jun 2024	56	11	3	70
Jul 2024	42	19	3	64
Aug 2024	39	6	4	49
Sep 2024	43	9	2	54
Oct 2024	49	18	1	68
Nov 2024	43	6	0	49
Dec 2024	53	8	1	62
Jan 2025	21	26	0	47
Feb 2025	29	8	4	41
Mar 2025	33	9	2	44
Apr 2025	21	13	1	35
May 2025	20	9	1	30
Jun 2025	44	16	1	61
Jul 2025	38	17	5	60
Aug 2025	22	19	0	41
Sep 2025	32	13	2	47
Oct 2025	37	33	2	72
Nov 2025	26	20	3	49

Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 19 Jan 2016)

Month	HTML	PDF	XML	Total
Jan 2016	110	51	0	161
Feb 2016	42	27	4	73
Mar 2016	32	9	0	41
Apr 2016	7	9	0	16
May 2016	5	9	0	14
Jun 2016	73	32	4	109
Jul 2016	30	9	2	41
Aug 2016	14	5	1	20
Sep 2016	6	18	0	24
Oct 2016	5	17	0	22
Nov 2016	8	3	1	12
Dec 2016	5	7	0	12
Jan 2017	15	15	0	30
Feb 2017	6	8	1	15
Mar 2017	18	12	1	31
Apr 2017	23	26	0	49
May 2017	22	21	0	43
Jun 2017	18	22	0	40
Jul 2017	16	22	1	39
Aug 2017	9	15	2	26
Sep 2017	15	21	0	36
Oct 2017	6	12	0	18
Nov 2017	8	9	0	17
Dec 2017	13	13	1	27
Jan 2018	17	20	3	40
Feb 2018	5	7	1	13
Mar 2018	13	11	1	25
Apr 2018	6	10	0	16
May 2018	7	10	0	17
Jun 2018	14	7	0	21
Jul 2018	9	9	3	21
Aug 2018	26	14	0	40
Sep 2018	13	17	2	32
Oct 2018	17	14	1	32
Nov 2018	30	18	1	49
Dec 2018	13	16	0	29
Jan 2019	10	10	0	20
Feb 2019	5	7	0	12
Mar 2019	8	12	2	22
Apr 2019	9	4	0	13
May 2019	6	13	0	19
Jun 2019	12	4	0	16
Jul 2019	8	10	1	19
Aug 2019	10	10	1	21
Sep 2019	32	7	0	39
Oct 2019	9	6	1	16
Nov 2019	4	45	1	50
Dec 2019	7	6	0	13
Jan 2020	17	12	2	31
Feb 2020	8	6	0	14
Mar 2020	3	9	0	12
Apr 2020	3	9	0	12
May 2020	4	4	1	9
Jun 2020	12	12	0	24
Jul 2020	23	24	7	54
Aug 2020	7	7	4	18
Sep 2020	11	11	1	23
Oct 2020	6	11	1	18
Nov 2020	19	13	2	34
Dec 2020	11	6	0	17
Jan 2021	22	8	0	30
Feb 2021	14	10	1	25
Mar 2021	21	11	1	33
Apr 2021	16	4	0	20
May 2021	63	10	0	73
Jun 2021	53	4	0	57
Jul 2021	21	11	0	32
Aug 2021	9	6	0	15
Sep 2021	19	17	1	37
Oct 2021	20	15	2	37
Nov 2021	14	19	1	34
Dec 2021	13	9	4	26
Jan 2022	16	7	0	23
Feb 2022	15	12	3	30
Mar 2022	8	8	1	17
Apr 2022	18	11	2	31
May 2022	10	4	1	15
Jun 2022	6	10	1	17
Jul 2022	11	7	0	18
Aug 2022	18	13	0	31
Sep 2022	18	7	0	25
Oct 2022	13	7	0	20
Nov 2022	45	16	1	62
Dec 2022	20	7	1	28
Jan 2023	17	12	0	29
Feb 2023	29	14	1	44
Mar 2023	31	14	3	48
Apr 2023	29	10	0	39
May 2023	52	15	4	71
Jun 2023	44	9	1	54
Jul 2023	38	9	1	48
Aug 2023	28	8	2	38
Sep 2023	25	13	1	39
Oct 2023	44	11	0	55
Nov 2023	31	4	1	36
Dec 2023	38	16	2	56
Jan 2024	38	13	1	52
Feb 2024	33	8	0	41
Mar 2024	37	7	3	47
Apr 2024	46	7	9	62
May 2024	50	13	3	66
Jun 2024	56	11	3	70
Jul 2024	42	19	3	64
Aug 2024	39	6	4	49
Sep 2024	43	9	2	54
Oct 2024	49	18	1	68
Nov 2024	43	6	0	49
Dec 2024	53	8	1	62
Jan 2025	21	26	0	47
Feb 2025	29	8	4	41
Mar 2025	33	9	2	44
Apr 2025	21	13	1	35
May 2025	20	9	1	30
Jun 2025	44	16	1	61
Jul 2025	38	17	5	60
Aug 2025	22	19	0	41
Sep 2025	32	13	2	47
Oct 2025	37	33	2	72
Nov 2025	26	20	3	49

Latest update: 25 Nov 2025

Short summary

Lightning is one of the major threats to modern multi-megawatt wind turbines and a concern for new generation of aircraft. Both wind turbines and aircraft can initiate lightning and very favourable conditions for lightning initiation occur in winter thunderstorms. Moreover, winter thunderstorms are characterized for producing very energetic lightning. In this paper we present the global winter lightning activity. Japan, US, Mediterranean, Argentina and New Zealand are the most active areas.