Strange land struck by lightning 28 times per minute, 300 days a year of 'wrath'

What’s special is that lightning only strikes in the same place, at the same time, and repeats itself for 300 days a year. That is when the sun sets over Lake Maracaibo - a large brackish lake in northwestern Venezuela - and also when strong winds rise, thunder and lightning begin to tear the sky apart. For many years, locals have often witnessed the “wrath” of nature with lightning storms raging for about 10 hours every night.

Because thousands of lightning bolts strike the sky each night, the sky above Lake Maracaibo is almost always ablaze. Locals even use the light to navigate their boats at night. The Guinness Book of World Records awarded Lake Maracaibo the title of “most lightning-struck place in the world.”

Strange land struck by lightning 28 times per minute, 300 days a year of 'wrath' - 1 — The Guinness Book of Records has awarded the title of "Most Lightning Strikes in the World" to Lake Maracaibo. (Photo: AS)

The lightning bolts have been used by sailors as natural landmarks for centuries. They are called the “Maracaibo Beacons” or “Catatumbo Lightnings”. People in the area can see the lightning bolts from more than 400 kilometers away.

Lake Maracaibo is hit the most by lightning in October, when a series of storms bring heavy rain and thunder. At one point, the area was struck by as many as 28 lightning strikes in a minute—enough to power 100 million light bulbs.

Experts have spent years trying to find an explanation for this peculiar phenomenon. One theory is that the lightning is attracted by uranium deposits around Lake Maracaibo. However, due to lack of evidence, this theory has been dismissed.

Scientists later suggested that the air above Lake Maracaibo had increased electrical conductivity due to methane rising from the oil fields below. When the ionized methane met the colder air from the mountains, it created a meeting of two electric currents, creating a huge charge that was discharged as lightning.

Strange land struck by lightning 28 times per minute, 300 days a year of 'wrath' - 2 — Every year, Lake Maracaibo is struck by lightning 300 days a year. (Photo: AS)

The unique terrain and wind patterns in the area also contribute to this phenomenon. Maracaibo lightning originates from large storm clouds at altitudes above 5,000m. Depending on the humidity of the air on different nights, the lightning that appears in the Lake Maracaibo area has different colors.

When the humidity is high, lightning flashes red, pink, orange to purple. When the humidity is low, lightning flashes white. In one evening, people can see lightning flashes of countless different colors.

As a result, more and more intrepid tourists flock to this place to witness the spectacular "show" of sound and light of heaven and earth. Many people are amazed and feel excited when admiring this special phenomenon.

Some scientists also revealed that the best time to see the unique lightning appearing at Lake Maracaibo is between September and November every year.

Quoc Thai (Source: AS)

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