Climate Change Is Increasing Risk Of Lightning Strikes, Scientists Warn

WASHINGTON, 6th August, 2022 (WAM) -- Scientists have warned of the role climate change plays in increasing the occurrence of lightning strikes across the United States, following a lightning strike that took place in Lafayette Park, near the White House, leaving three dead and one other in critical condition.

According to a Reuters article, more heat can draw more moisture into the atmosphere, while also encouraging rapid updraft – two key factors for charged particles, which lead to lightning. The article referenced a key study released in 2014 in the journal Science, which warned that the number of lightning strikes could increase by 50 percent in this century in the US, with each 1 degree Celsius of warming translating into a 12 percent rise in the number of lightning strikes.

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