Spatial distribution and frequency of thunderstorms and lightning in Australia

Abstract

A review of thunderstorm and lightning observations in Australia, with emphasis on studies of their spatial distribution and frequency over the Australian continent, is presented. Long-term thunderday records, lightning data obtained by ground-based lightning detection instruments CIGRE-500 and CGR3 and by NASA satellite-based instruments OTD and LIS have been analyzed to develop maps of total lightning flash density, Nt, (i.e. cloud-to-ground and intracloud) and of ground flash density, Ng. The peak lightning occurrence is in the north-western part of the Australian continent with N t values up to about 35 km-2yr-1. Ground flash density (Ng) values vary from over 6 km-2yr-1 in the northern parts of Australia to about 1 km-2 yr-1 and below in the southern parts. There are significant seasonal and yearly variations in the frequency of thunderdays. Some aspects of the hazards from thunderstorms and lightning appear to be special to Australia, including lightning initiated wildfires, lightning injuries to telephone users and faults on power lines caused by high wind gust speeds. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009.