1. Where is struck by lightning the most in the world?

  • Lake Maracaibo
  • Caspian Sea
  • Lake Victoria
  • Lake Superior
Exactly

Lake Maracaibo holds the Guinness World Record for being struck by the most lightning in the world. At its peak during the rainy season in October, Lake Maracaibo can receive 28 lightning strikes per minute, lasting for 10 hours.

Scientists have been working for years to explain the unusual intensity of storms and lightning here. Initially, they thought it was because uranium mines in the lake area attracted lightning. Recently, some scientists said that the conductivity of the air above the lake increased due to methane gas released from oil fields below the lake. The increased conductivity of the air led to more lightning strikes on the lake. In addition, some opinions said that the cause was due to topographic factors such as the steepness of the mountain slopes, the curvature of the coastline combined.

2. Which country is this place located in?

  • Argentina
  • Venezuela
  • Bolivia
  • Ecuador
Exactly

Lake Maracaibo is located in northwestern Venezuela, flowing through the city of Maracaibo before emptying into the Caribbean Sea. With an area of ​​13,210 km2, it is the largest lake in South America. Geological records show that it is one of the oldest lakes on Earth, with an age of 20-36 million years.

3. How many storms does this place experience each year?

  • 60
  • 160
  • 260
  • 360
Exactly

According to the BBC, the country experiences around 260 storms a year. Storms typically strike in the summer, but warmer temperatures mean they are more frequent in countries along the equator. Before detailed data was compiled, the Republic of Congo in Central Africa was considered the place with the most lightning, with around 160 lightning strikes per square kilometre annually.

In 2014, NASA released official data showing that the Brahmaputra Valley in far eastern India has the highest lightning intensity between April and May, signaling the arrival of the monsoon.

However, none of this compares to Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela, where the number of storms only slightly decreases during the dry months (January and February).

4. How far away can lightning be seen here?

  • 4km
  • 20km
  • 100km
  • 400km
Exactly

Lightning in Lake Maracaibo is so bright that it can be seen from 400 km away. Sailors also use this light to navigate at night. The different colors of lightning observed can be explained by the partial absorption or diffraction of white light as it passes through layers of dust and moisture. However, if you are too far from the lake, you will only see lightning but not hear thunder, because the sound is completely absorbed by the environment.

5. How many lightning strikes does Vietnam receive each year?

  • 500,000
  • 1 million
  • 2 million
  • 3 million
Exactly

According to the General Department of Hydrometeorology, Vietnam is located in the Asian thunderstorm center - one of three thunderstorm centers in the world, with strong thunderstorm activity. The average number of thunderstorm days in Vietnam is 100, the average number of hours is 250 hours per year. The whole country receives up to 2 million lightning strikes each year. The frequency of lightning is higher in the mountainous areas, the northern midlands and the southern delta. Thunderstorms often appear in May-June in the North.