Did You See the 477 Mile Long Lightning Megaflash Over Louisiana?

(Associated Press) The World Meteorological Organization announced on Monday that a single bolt of lightning stretching over Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi in 2020 is officially the longest flash of lightning in recorded history.

The bolt of lightning stretched nearly 500 miles, 477 miles to be exact. That's equivalent to the distance from New York City to Columbus, Ohio. According to satellite images from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the horizontal flash of lightning covering all three southern states occurred on April 29, 2020.

A few months later, a lightning megaflash in Uruguay and Argentina lasted 17 seconds, beating the old record for longest time. -World Meteorological Organization

 

There were no reported injuries reported in Texas, Louisiana or Mississippi.