Determination of Zones and Tall Structures with the Greatest Number of Lightning Strikes

Abstract

High lightning activity sites have been characterized using methodologies based on the spatial occurrence of lightning through parameters such as Ground Flash Density, GFD. This work found the areas with the highest number of lightning strikes (hotspots) in some Colombian cities through a methodology based on the temporal occurrence of lightning. Likewise, the influence of elevated structures on lightning activity in these regions is determined. Polygons of 600 meters on each side were located on the surface of the study cities. Based on lightning information (strokes) provided by the Colombian Network of Total Lightning Detection with LINET technology between 2016 and 2018, the number of impacts per polygon was determined, making it possible to identify the areas in which the incidence of lightning is recurrent. Elevated structures were located in each of the study cities to determine which of them corresponded to hotspots. The results showed that the main hotspots are far from urban areas and that most of these sites coincide with elevated structures. Possible causes of these lightning strikes are also explained, such as meteorological variables, relief, precipitation, and charge distributions in storm clouds. Urbanism is found to have a marked influence on the determination of hotspots and that urbanism and elevated structures increase lightning activity in the study areas.