LIGHTNING – GEOGRAPHY
News: Lightning, blamed for Canada fires, will get worse in a warming world
What is in the news?
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Recently, a study
published in Nature said that lightning is the main precursor of natural
wildfires.
○ Laboratory
experiments and field observations have together revealed that lightning
electric currents that flow for more than some tens of milliseconds, the
so-called long-continuing currents (LCC), are likely to produce fires.
What is lightning?
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Contact between these
droplets and crystals produces a static electrical charge in the clouds.
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The negative and positive
charges in the clouds build up. Over time, the voltage difference becomes high
enough to surmount the resistance presented by the air, leading to a rapid
discharge of electric charge.
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This is what we see as a
lightning flash. It can occur between oppositely charged surfaces within a
thunderstorm cloud or between such surfaces in the cloud and on the ground.
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There are two types of
lightning. Such as,
○ Intercloud or intracloud
(IC) lightning: These are visible and harmless.
○ Cloud to ground (CG)
lightning: This is harmful as the high electric
voltage discharge for a very short time leads to electrocution.
Lightning strikes in India:
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There were 18.5 million
lightning strikes in the country between April 2020 and March 2021 – 34% higher
than the previous year – according to the Climate Resilient Observing Systems
Promotion Council.
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The private
weather-forecasting company Skymet has reported that Odisha recorded the most strikes among India’s states in 2019.
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Lightning frequency is
highest in northeastern states and West Bengal, Sikkim, Jharkhand, Odisha, and
Bihar.
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However, the number of
lightning-related deaths is higher in central Indian states like Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh,
and Odisha.
Impacts of increased trend of lightning strikes:
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Positive impacts |
Negative impacts |
|
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Nitrogen
fixation:
Lightning can convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form that plants can use.
This is contributing to soil fertility and plant growth.
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Forest
regeneration: Lightning-sparked fires can clear out underbrush and
promote new growth, leading to healthy forest ecosystems.
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Ozone
production: when Lightning happens, some ozone will be created
in the atmosphere, which helps to protect the Earth from harmful ultraviolet
radiation. |
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Wildfires:
Lightning strikes can cause devastating wildfires, damaging ecosystems and posing
a threat to property and human lives.
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Threat
biodiversity: Due to lightning sparked fire, some rare varieties
of plants and species can go extinct particularly in the local region.
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Electrical
damage:
Lightning strikes can damage electrical equipment, leading to power outages
and costly repairs.
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Injury
and death:
People exposed to lightning strikes can suffer injuries or fatalities, making
it a serious safety concern.
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Soil
erosion:
Intense lightning strikes may cause soil erosion, impacting agriculture and
natural landscapes.
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Disruption
to communication and transportation: Lightning can
damage communication and transportation infrastructure, causing disruptions
in daily life. |
Measures taken by the Government:
1. Damini App:
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It was developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology
(IITM-Pune) and Earth System Science Organization (ESSO) under the ministry of
earth sciences.
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The app monitors
lightning occurrences all over India and alerts the user of lightning near them
by a GPS notification under 20 km and 40 km.
2. Lightning Resilient India Campaign:
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It is a joint initiative
of Climate Resilient Observing-Systems Promotion Council (CROPC), NDMA, India
Meteorological Department (IMD), Union Ministry of Earth Science, World Vision
India, UNICEF among others.
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The
campaign aims to reduce the number of deaths to less than 1,200 a year by 2022.
WAY FORWARD:
1. Early Warning Systems:
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To warn people of
impending thunderstorms and lightning strikes, India should invest in early
warning systems.
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Weather
radar, lightning detection networks, and smartphone applications are a few
examples of these systems.
2. Lightning Safety Measures:
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It is important to inform
India's rural communities about quick and easy lightning safety precautions.
This can involve putting lightning rods on homes, staying indoors during
thunderstorms, and taking cover in secure structures.
3. Lightning-Resistant Infrastructure:
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Encourage the construction of lightning-resistant
infrastructure, especially in high-risk areas such as schools, hospitals,
and public buildings.
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It can include installing
lightning rods on tall structures, buildings, and houses to provide a safe path
for lightning to travel to the ground, reducing the risk of damage from a
direct strike.
4. Inclusion of lightning as a natural
disaster:
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The Centre should include
lightning as a “natural disaster” to minimize
lightning-related deaths.
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This would help States
prepare long-term mitigation through coordinated efforts with local agencies
and reconstruction activities to build disaster-resilient infrastructure.
5. Hazard Mapping and targeted public
interventions:
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In addition, some
critical measures where public intervention is an absolute necessity include mapping vulnerable populations with
potential lightning hotspots, improving early warning systems, and
installing lightning detection systems in the local areas.