Climate change is leading to an increase in extreme weather events and will continue to do so in the future – science is sure of that. How the effects of global warming affect local weather events such as lightning activity has not been fully explored. Experts from the University of Innsbruck have weighed in on the subject.
In the high altitudes of the European Eastern Alps, the number of detected lightning strikes has doubled over the past 40 years. “The reasons for this lie in the consequences of the climate crisis,” says the University of Innsbruck.
“Reconstructed with unparalleled precision”
The research team including atmospheric and statistical scientists Thorsten Simon, Georg Mayr, Deborah Morgenstern, Nikolaus Runde and Achim Zeileis used a special combination of extensive datasets to study cloud-to-surface lightning activity in the Eastern European Alps region for a period between 1980 and 2019 “reconstructed with unprecedented precision”.
“In this study, we combine two sources of information, both of which are available with a spatial-temporal resolution of 32 by 32 kilometers and one hour. From these datasets, on the one hand, we obtain information about lightning activity with seamless records over the past decade. On the other hand, we have we have access to analyzes of the past four decades of atmospheric conditions – including cloud microphysics – in hourly resolution,” explains Thorsten Simon.
Using machine learning methods, the seamless lightning measurements from 2010 to 2019 could be mapped using meteorological data, Simon continues. The frequency of lightning strikes in the preceding period has also been reconstructed using the same method and other meteorological data.
Rising temperatures as the cause
Due to the topography alone, the mountains have good conditions for thunderstorms. “Our analyzes of this area have shown that rising temperatures due to climate change are further increasing the frequency of thunderstorms and lightning. We were also surprised that this trend is so closely aligned with global changes in the climate system,” emphasizes Simon .
50 percent increase over the course of the day
According to the Innsbruck researchers, the most profound changes took place in the high Alps between 1980 and 2019. Lightning activity there has doubled in the 2010s compared to the 1980s. In the high-altitude areas of the Eastern Alps, the lightning season reaches a stronger maximum and starts a month earlier. During the day, the peak is up to 50 percent stronger, with more flashes in the afternoon and evening.
Similar signals along the southern and northern edges of the Alps are present, but weaker. The flat areas around the Alps would show no significant trend.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
