Where does lightning strike? New maps pinpoint 36.8 million yearly ground strike points in unprecedented detail

It’s been a warm day, maybe even a little humid, and the tall clouds in the distance remind you of cauliflower. You hear a sharp crack, like the sound of a batter hitting a home run, or a low rumble reminiscent of a truck driving down the highway. A distant thunderstorm, alive with lightning, is making itself known. Lightning flashes in thunderstorms at least 60 times per second somewhere around the planet, sometimes even near the North Pole. Each giant spark of electricity travels through the atmosphere at 200,000 miles per hour. It is hotter than the surface of the sun and delivers thousands of times more electricity than the power......

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