The Geostationary Lightning Mapper on GOEST will identify ⚡ likely to ignite fires that threaten the safety of the public and first responders. Learn more about 'now-casting' potential hazards caused by lightning. ReadytoGOES NOAASciJinks:
Zap! You just touched a metal doorknob after shuffling your rubber-soled feet across the carpet. Yipes! You've been struck by lightning! Well, not really, but it's the same idea.
When the strength of the charge overpowers the insulating properties of the atmosphere, Z-Z-Z-ZAP! Lightning happens.The electric field"looks" for a doorknob. Sort of. It looks for the closest and easiest path to release its charge. Often lightning occurs between clouds or inside a cloud. As the negative charge gets close to the ground, a positive charge, called a streamer, reaches up to meet the negative charge. The channels connect and we see the lightning stroke. We may see several strokes using the same path, giving the lightning bolt a flickering appearance, before the electrical discharge is complete.In a fraction of a second, lightning heats the air around it to incredible temperatures—as hot as 54,000 °F .
Lightning is an important part of weather forecasting. The Geostationary Lightning Mapper instrument on the GOES-R series satellites can detect lightning activity over nearly the whole Western Hemisphere. If thunder clouds are anywhere near, you should not be outside. Lightning can travel long distances. It doesn't have to be raining overhead for lightning to strike. Don't wait until the"last minute" to seek shelter. You don't want to be a victim of a"bolt from the blue."
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