High Lightning Activity Research Articles

Differences in Thunderstorms' Ice Microphysics Between the Amazon and Central Africa Inferred From Spaceborne Passive Microwave and Radar Observations

AbstractThis study examines the differences related to microphysical properties of ice in thunderstorms over the Amazon and Congo Basin using the Precipitation Feature (PF) data sets derived from passive microwave and radar observations from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission and Global Precipitation Mission Core Satellites. Analysis reveals that Amazon thunderstorms are likely composed of ice crystals smaller but more numerous than those in the Congo Basin, resulting in half as many flashes per PF on average in the Amazon, for similar Ice Water Content (IWC) or Area of 30 dBZ at −10°C (Acharge). The increase of the flash count following an increase of the IWC (Acharge) is only 72% (61%) as effective in the Amazon as it would be in the Congo Basin area. PFs with similar 30 dBZ radar echo top heights exhibit lower Brightness Temperatures (TBs) in the 85/89, 165, and 183 GHz frequencies over the Amazon, indicating more numerous smaller ice particles compared to those over the Congo Basin, which tend to show colder TBs at 37 GHz, possibly due to more numerous large graupel or hail particles. Comparisons of TBs in PFs with similar 30 dBZ echo top temperature between the Amazon and 3 × 3º global grids show that the median TB in Amazon is higher than that in most oceanic areas but is comparable to areas having high oceanic lightning activity (e.g., South Pacific Convergence Zone). It suggests that systems in the Amazon have similarities with maritime precipitation systems, yet with distinct characteristics indicative of land systems.

Modeling and simulation for flashover location determination on 150 kV insulator string

The 150 kV Payakumbuh-Koto Panjang transmission line in West Sumatra is located in an area with high lightning activity. Based on Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) data (2017-2023), the average number of lightning days per year (IKL: isokeraunic level) reaches 165-173 days/year, and 79% of the transmission towers are located in hilly and rocky areas. This causes contamination of the insulator, which can reduce its performance and cause flashovers in the insulator circuit. However, in the field, finding flash points in insulators is still a challenge. Therefore, simulation must be used as a tool to determine the location of flashover in an insulator circuit that is affected by temperature and humidity. Simulation by modeling flashover provides an effective solution for determining the location of flashover in insulator circuits, which is the novelty of this research. This research compares laboratory test results with manual calculations modeled using Visual Basic 6. The research results show that temperature and humidity have a significant influence on determining the flashover voltage value on the insulator. The flashover locations during the test are the same as the calculated flashover locations, as shown by these simulations and modeling.

Climatology of thermodynamic indices and background synoptic conditions responsible for severe convection during pre‐ to post‐monsoon seasons over Indian region

AbstractTo investigate the mechanisms responsible for severe convection linked with a variety of mesoscale, synoptic systems over the Indian region, a preliminary analysis is conducted. Using IMD RSRW/Reanalysis (ERA5)/Lightning (TRMM LIS) products both local‐scale thermodynamics and large‐scale background conditions responsible for the major lightning hot spots in different seasons are investigated. In the pre‐monsoon season, high lightning activity over NE Indian region is due to moisture intrusion by south‐westerly at lower levels (warm air advection), along with mid‐level north westerlies (cold air advection) which favour the low‐level convergence and upper‐level divergence. SCS over south India are mainly attributed to wind discontinuity over the region. During monsoon season major lightning activity in NW India is due to the presence of heat low and the rest of the country less intense SCS activity is evident due to high wind shear conditions in connection with low‐level (westerly) and upper‐level (easterly jet stream). In the post‐monsoon season, major lightning in south India are due to the prevailing north‐easterlies and in north India, the activity is attributed to the passage of western disturbance (WD). Station plot analysis suggests the varied distribution of thermodynamic indices season/region‐wise due to the diverse background forcing. Correlation analysis between the lightning and thermodynamic indices suggests that more skillful indices are KI (~0.7 to 0.8), precipitable water (PPW) (~0.8) (pre‐monsoon, monsoon) and (PPW) (~0.8), convective available potential energy (CAPE) (~0.6) in post monsoon over respective lightning hot‐spot regions. Independent verification using Wyoming data/reanalysis for different case studies suggests that monitoring the monthly thresholds of highly correlated indices provides a helpful proxy to operationally forecast the severe convective systems (season/region). Mean Equivalent potential temperature, and mixing ratio in mixed layer has shown reasonable association with the lightning occurrence over all lightning hot spot regions which are implemented in the IMD GFS and IMD WRF models.

Influence of the Super El Niño event during 2015/2016 on the aerosol properties and lightning activity in subtropical South America

This work investigates the impact of ENSO on aerosols and lightning activity in subtropical South America (SSA). An analysis of the interannual variability of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), Ångström Exponent (AE) and different cloud parameters using MODIS satellite datasets and the lightning activity based on the lightning observations from the World Wide Lightning Location Network was performed. High positive AE, AOD anomalies and high lightning activity were found in the northeastern region of SSA during the Super El Niño event during 2015/2016 in latter spring and summer. The Pearson correlation coefficients between these aerosol parameters and monthly discharges were higher than 0.7 in the northeastern region during the Super El Niño. These positive correlations, which have been widely reported in previous studies, were explained considering the vegetation cover, consisting mainly of subtropical forests in the northeastern region of SSA, and the increase in rainfall during El Niño in this area in spring and summer. The increases in AOD and AE during latter spring and summer in the northeastern region were therefore related to the release of biological aerosols and to aerosols emission mechanisms independent of the background aerosol concentration, respectively. The increase in lightning activity was related to the role of these released aerosols as ice nuclei particles and/or as cloud condensation nuclei, affecting cloud properties and thus the lightning activity. The results reported in this work show the effect of the Super El Niño on aerosol and lightning activity and, in this way on aerosol-cloud interactions.

Diurnal variations in lightning over India and three lightning hotspots: A climatological study

Advancements have been made in the field of lightning research. A study on lightning frequency in India, a tropical hotspot, has not been conducted despite the existence of a global climatology on mean flash rate lightning. Lightning climatology in India is determined using high-resolution datasets from MicroLab-1 and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellites and Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) diurnal datasets spanning from 1996 to 2013. The study analyzed the difference in density of lightning flashes during two time periods, 1996–2001 and 2008–2013, on a daily, monthly, and seasonal level. Three regions with high lightning activity have been selected: East Khasi Hills in the northeast with 101.25 flashes/Km2/yr, Rajouri in Jammu & Kashmir with 121.40 flashes/Km2/yr, and Kottayam with 92.94 flashes/Km2/yr. The study focuses on the rainfall, convective available potential energy (CAPE), and lightning density. Due to localized climatological factors, lightning events vary in diurnal and seasonal patterns across the three hotspots.Lightning strikes are predominantly distributed in certain regions of India, including Jammu, Kashmir, the foothills of the Himalayan belt, and the North-Eastern region, encompassing Bangladesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Orissa. The frequency of lightning strikes ranges from 0.2 to 0.45 flashes/Km2/day. Lightning activity experienced a slight rise between 2008 and 2013. There was a rise in lightning activity (0.04 flashes/Km2/day) in India and its three hotspots in 2010. The study aims to investigate the daily changes in lightning activity. A significant portion of daily lightning activity occurs at approximately 1000 UTC and generally decreases in the afternoon across all seasons. The study examines the seasonal variation in lightning activity across India, specifically during pre-monsoon, monsoon, post-monsoon, and winter. The results are significant for developing lightning climatology in the region. Lightning density in India experiences a slight increase during both pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons, with a noticeable variation observed across India and three hotspot locations.

Relationship Between Lightning Activity and Terrain in High-Altitude Mountainous Areas

In China, the average elevation of Yunnan Province exceeds 2000 m, with a greatly fluctuating terrain. Most areas have a high-altitude mountainous terrain and relatively high ground lightning activity. Topography is one of the most critical factors affecting regional lightning characteristics. Therefore, clarifying the quantitative relationship between cloud-to-ground lightning activity and topography can help evaluate the risk of hazard-pregnant environments and adopt active protective measures. In this study, we used a mathematical statistical method to analyze the correlation between cloud-to-ground lightning density and altitude, slope, slope aspect, topographic position index, and land-cover type in Yunnan for the past 10 years. We also used the Apriori algorithm to study the coupling effects of different topographic factors and mine the topographic attribute sets that strongly correlate with high-level lightning activity. We used the entropy weight method to construct a comprehensive index of hazard-pregnant environments and quantitatively evaluate the impact weights of different factors on cloud-to-ground lightning activity. Correlation analysis of lightning density and sensitivity indicated a correlation coefficient of 0.473 between both factors, highlighting the effectiveness of evaluating regional lightning risk with the sensitivity of a hazard-pregnant environment

Analyzing the Effect of Lightning Channel Impedance on the Lightning Overvoltages in Wind Turbines

Lightning is a natural phenomenon that can cause serious damage to power systems including wind farms. Wind Turbines (WTs) are tall structures and are often installed in areas with high lightning activity levels which makes them exposed to direct strikes. One of the parameters affecting the performance of the lightning protection system is the impedance of the lightning channel. In this paper, the effects of this impedance on the lightning overvoltages in wind turbines, and the energy absorbed by Surge Arresters (SAs), as the main lightning protection device, are investigated. The case study is carried out on a WT with 2 MVA of rated power where a direct lightning strike with a maximum current magnitude of 50 kA is struck to one of the WT's blades. Accurate models, designed for transient studies, are used for modeling different parts of the WT. The results of different scenarios are compared, and it is shown that as the value of lightning channel impedance gets higher, the overvoltage caused by the corresponding lightning strike, with the same current magnitude, increases too. In addition, it is shown that the higher the lightning channel impedance, the higher the absorbed energy by the arrester. This shows the importance of the lightning channel impedance's effect on high-voltage studies of WTs, as it can help in selecting proper lightning protection devices.

Development and laboratory testing of a lightning current measurement system for wind turbines

Dimensioning, testing and maintenance of the lightning protection system of wind turbines can be improved using the local distributions of lightning current parameters instead of those on which lightning protection standards rely. This paper presents a prototype system for measuring lightning currents’ waveforms on wind turbines. The prototype is being developed at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb, Croatia. The system's fundamental components are two Rogowski coils and their corresponding integrators. One coil is optimized for lower frequencies and amplitudes, while the other is for higher ones. The cRIO real-time controller is used as an acquisition system, with acquisition logic developed using LabVIEW. The controller has one digitizer for each coil and a GPS synchronization module. The system was tested in the High Voltage Laboratory at University. It was recently installed on an actual wind turbine in Croatia, located in an area characterized by high winter lightning activity. Simultaneously with the prototype measurement system, the lightning activity in the wind turbine micro-location will be monitored by three other systems: the lightning location system, additional lightning monitoring sensors installed in the blades of the same wind turbine and a high-speed camera installed at the wind turbine location.

Observational and Model Impact of Tonga Volcano Eruption on Schumann Resonance

AbstractTonga volcano eruption on 15 January 2022 was accompanied by an unprecedentedly high lightning activity in the volcano plume which significantly exceeded the lightning activity level of the whole globe. We compare model computations with the observed effect of the Tonga volcano eruption on the global electromagnetic Schumann resonance (SR). This SR disturbance was detected at many observatories covering the whole globe. SR power spectral density was computed using the updated model of the Earth‐ionosphere cavity, with the global lightning detections recorded by the World Wide Lightning Location Network, as a source. The modeled dynamics of the SR disturbances during Tonga eruption agrees qualitatively and quantitatively with SR recordings from six globally separated observatories. Unprecedentedly high lightning activity during the active phase of eruption caused significant suppression of the global lightning detection rate without noticeable effect on real global thunderstorm activity.

Parallel Induction Analysis for Reduction of Interference Due to Lighting Strikes At 70 kV SUTT Parakan-Kadipaten

SUTT 70 kV Parakan-Kadipaten is one of the transmission networks located in areas with high lightning activity so that there is the potential for interference. If the voltage (V) caused by lightning > Basic Insulation Level (BIL) insulator, a backflash over will occur. One of the efforts made to minimize interference is by paralleling the tower inductance with NA2XSY cable which has a lower inductance than the tower. This study aims to determine the installation method and the effect of parallel installation of inductance to reduce interference due to lightning strikes. The research was carried out by performing calculations to determine the lightning Vimpuls before and after the parallel inductance and then comparing it with the BIL value of the insulator and network disturbance data. If the lightning Vimpuls > BIL insulator then a backflash over occurs and if the lightning Vimpuls < BIL insulator then there is no backflash over. From the calculation results, it is found that the value of lightning Vimpuls before parallel inductance > BIL insulator and after parallel inductance drops significantly to < BIL insulator. Meanwhile, when compared with the fault data 3 years before and 3 years after parallel, the fault inductance also decreased. In the year before the parallel inductance, namely 2015 there were 4 disturbances, in 2016 4 disturbances, in 2017 1 disturbance, and in 2018 the January-June period there were no disturbances. In the year after the parallel inductance installation, namely in 2018 for the July-December period there were no disturbances, in 2019 there were no disturbances, in 2020 there were 2 disturbances, and in 2021 the period (January-June) had 2 disturbances.

Effect of lightning mast placement on underground power cable jacket stress within high voltage substations

This study aims to investigate the impact of lightning masts placement on underground cables within high voltage substations. While the subject of lightning discharges near to underground cables has been covered with open cable runs and wind farms in many papers, this study focuses on lightning events within high voltage substations considering the associated effective zones, which were not covered in the available literature. Substations built within areas prone to high lightning activity experience frequent discharges that cause the potential rise of the earthing system into hundreds of kilovolts. The potentials propagating within the soil and the earthing grid affect underground cables jackets terminated within the substation. The numerical analysis of the problem is carried out using Current Distribution, Electromagnetic fields, Grounding and Soil structure analysis (CDEGS) software engine for different configurations of lightning mast placements with varied separation, electrode placement and length, soil resistivity, and lightning current. Study findings indicate that provision of lightning masts/down conductors as far as possible or at least twice the effective zone radius from cable termination/route electrodes ensures relatively lower stress voltages. Electrodes with effective zone radius length placed as close as possible to lightning masts further reduce the attainable jacket stress voltages.

Early snowmelt and polar jet dynamics co-influence recent extreme Siberian fire seasons.

The summers of 2019, 2020, and 2021 experienced unprecedented fire activity in northeastern Siberia, driven by record high spring and summer temperatures. Many of these fires burned in permafrost peatlands within the Arctic Circle. We show that early snowmelt together with an anomalous Arctic front jet over northeastern Siberia promoted unusually warm and dry surface conditions, followed by anomalously high lightning and fire activity. Since 1966, spring snowmelt has started 1.7 days earlier each decade. Moreover, Arctic front jet occurrences in summer have more than tripled in frequency over the last 40 years. These interconnected climatological drivers promote extreme fire activity in eastern Siberia, including a northward shift of fires, which may accelerate the degradation of carbon-rich permafrost peatlands.

Lightning Performance Improvement Of 123 kV Line Ston – Komolac By Use Of Line Surge Arresters

This paper presents HEP - Transmission System Operator Ltd. Line surge arrester (LSA) application pilot project on the Ston – Komolac 123 kV line. This 44 km long single circuit shielded transmission line operates in the region with a high lightning activity (keraunic level about 70 thunder days). In addition, it was very difficult to obtain good footing resistance. For these reasons, considered line used to have very bad lightning performance. It was decided to install Line surge arresters for line lightning performance improvement. In order to optimize arrester installation configuration sigma slp software simulations were performed. LSA are installed according to the results of the software simulations. LSA are installed in summer 2007 (110 gapless, IEC-class II Line arresters). Sixty one LSA are equipped with Excount - II monitoring sensors (monitoring arrester leakage current and peak of the impulse current). Based on the 8-month experience, LSA installation has improved line lightning performance. New line performance is close to the targeted once (improvement by 50 to 60 %). Surge arrester monitors collect very interesting information. Collected info will be compared with the software simulations.

PERFORMANCE OF PARALLEL SURGE ARRESTERS

The operation of parallel surge arresters can improve energy absorption capability if the arresters are similar and are installed close to each other. However, it has been reported that any small difference in the individual V-I characteristics can lead to unbalance in current sharing. When the arresters are installed some distance away from each other, travelling wave effects can modify the effectiveness of parallel arresters for surge overvoltage protection and, in this case, detailed simulations are required to ascertain the level of protection. Such a situation occurs in practice with large substations or short underground cable connections. Various studies have shown that a requirement for two-arrester protection is closely dependent upon the type and length of cable used. In the case of overhead lines, the distances are much bigger and the main objective of line arresters is to reduce the flashover rates due to surge overvoltages. This is especially relevant to lines located in regions of high lightning activity, lines with compact/uprated design where the phase-to-phase and phase-to-earth air clearances are reduced. In this paper, we present a study of parallel arresters considering the separation distance and their application to overhead lines. Various scenarios of overhead line configurations were considered and the overvoltage levels were calculated for each case. Assessment of flashover performance is also conducted for a number of conditions. A number of calculation techniques were used and compared.

Line Arrester Application on a 110 kV High Alpine Overhead Line to reduce Lightning-Caused Outages

This contribution discusses a project, which aims to increase the reliability in an existing 110 kV overhead transmission network by taking measures addressing lightning and grounding issues. Due to the fault statistic in the past, a single overhead line was identified as a main reason for the lightning-caused outages in the area. In this work a number of possibilities for the reduction of lightning-caused outages are discussed and the measures taken in the network are described. All considerations took the special geographical situation of 2300 meter above sea level, the grounding resistance of up to 1200 Ohm and the local lightning activity of more than 6 lightning strikes per km² and year into account (4 to 5 times higher than in other Austrian regions). An analytical process was carried out to evaluate relevant parameters and to develop a concept of practical measures. Within these evaluations, the footing resistance, the effectiveness of the shielding angle of the shielding wires and the line arrester locations were analyzed. A multiplicity of numerical calculations were performed to assess the application of surge arresters regarding the insulation coordination for the system. To improve the line performance and to decrease the line outage rate, a number of practical measures were applied to the 110 kV line. In the past, the double three phase systems of the 110 kV overhead line was constructional converted into one active single three phase system with two additional earth wires. According to the numerical results, 18 surge arresters have been installed in a line section of 9 towers, located in a high alpine part and in an area of high lightning activity. Three years of field experiences have shown that the theoretical investigations and the practical measures led to a significant decrease of lightning caused outages. In the year 2007 a new project was started to evaluate a reconstruction of the line into the original double three phase system. New numerical calculation routines were made to apply line arresters at this important 110 kV system in an Austrian extreme mountain region. Based on this results, a new application of line arresters and the constructional change of the system is planned.

Meteorological Conditions Associated with Lightning Ignited Fires and Long-Continuing-Current Lightning in Arizona, New Mexico and Florida

Lightning is the main precursor of wildfires in Arizona, New Mexico, and Florida during the fire season. Forecasting the occurrence of Lightning-Ignited Wildfires (LIW) is an essential tool to reduce their impacts on the environment and society. Long-Continuing-Current (LCC) lightning is proposed to be the main precursor of LIW. The long-lasting continuing current phase of LCC lightning is that which is more likely to ignite vegetation. We investigated the meteorological conditions and vegetation type associated with LIW and LCC lightning flashes in Arizona, New Mexico, and Florida. We analyzed LIW between 2009 and 2013 and LCC lightning between 1998 and 2014 and combined lightning and meteorological data from a reanalysis data set. According to our results, LIW tend to occur during dry thunderstorms with a high surface temperature and a high temperature gradient between the 700 hPa and the 450 hPa vertical levels for high-based clouds. In turn, we obtained a high lightning-ignition efficiency in coniferous forests, such as the ponderosa pine in Arizona and New Mexico and the slash pine in Florida. We found that the meteorological conditions that favor fire ignition and spread are more significant in Florida than in Arizona and New Mexico, while the meteorological conditions that favor the occurrence of LIW in Arizona and New Mexico are closely related with the meteorological conditions that favor high lightning activity. In turn, our results indicate high atmospheric instability during the occurrence of LIW. Our findings suggest that LCC (&gt;18 ms) lightning tends to occur in thunderstorms with high relative humidity and ice content in the clouds, and with low temperature in the entire troposphere. Additionally, a weak updraft in the lower troposphere and a strong one in the upper troposphere favor the occurrence of LCC (&gt;18 ms) lightning. We found that the meteorological conditions that favor the occurrence of LCC (&gt;18 ms) lightning are not necessarily the preferential meteorological conditions for LIW.

Climatology of Lightning Activities over Bandaranaike International Airport in Sri Lanka

This study reveals the spatiotemporal distribution of lightning activities over Bandaranaike International Airport, the main international airport of Sri Lanka. Lightning flash data was acquired from the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) on Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) of NASA to investigate lightning activities from 1998 to 2014 covering an area of 30 km×30 km over the airport. Overhead annual flash density was 8.19 flashes km-2 year-1. The maximum lightning activities (57%) with an overhead flash density of 28.83 flashes km-2 year-1 was recorded in the first inter-monsoon season. The overhead flash density of 5.28 flashes km-2 year-1, 16.36 flashes km-2 year-1 and 7.46 flashes km-2 year-1 were recorded in the southwest monsoon season, second inter-monsoon season, and northeast monsoon season respectively. The month of April accounts for the highest number of lightning activities while maximum lightning flashes (22%) had occurred during 19.00-20.00 Local Time. According to the international climate season, maximum lightning activities over the study area have been recorded from March to May and during this seasonal period, the northern hemisphere is in spring and the southern hemisphere is in autumn. Safety guidelines are proposed to minimize lightning accidents in the airport. It is important to concern the regions with high lightning activity and vulnerable time periods to mitigate lightning accidents and to take adequate safety precautions to ensure the safety of passengers and the working crew to achieve environmental goals of sustainable development in the aviation industry.

Effects of aerosols on lightning activity over the Arabian Peninsula

Lightning activity is one of the global natural hazards that poses significant risks on human life and numerous aspects of the society's technological infrastructure. Understanding the linkage between aerosols present in the atmosphere and lightning activity is important to further advance our knowledge of the global lightning activity cycle. The southwestern region of the Arabian Peninsula (AP) is home to one of the 500 hottest lightning spots in the world, and is not far from the largest contiguous sand desert in the world, the Empty Quarter (al-Rubea Al-Khali). Using data of individual lightning strokes from the the Global Lightning Detection Network (GLD360), in conjunction with remote sensing measurements of the aerosol optical depth (AOD) obtained at 500 nm from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument onboard the Terra and Aqua satellites during active lightning days, we examine the evolution of lightning activity in two geographically and topologically different regions over the AP. One region extends inland to the desert (R1) and the other is in the southwest mountainous region that is close to the Red Sea (R2). In both regions, results from thunderdays-only indicate that lightning is strongly and positively correlated with the AOD loading, up to AOD ~ 0.8, after which the trend flattens or reverses direction. Results suggest the two opposite effects that aerosols could indirectly have on lightning activity are at play. Mountainous region exhibits much stronger linear relation compared to the inland region. Furthermore, both regions exhibit seasonal and asynchronous lightning activity and AOD loading. Year 2018 in R1 shows very high lightning activity, likely linked to the 2018 intense dust storms in the region.

Survey of electron density changes in the daytime ionosphere over the Arecibo Observatory due to lightning and solar flares

Optical observations of transient luminous events and remote-sensing of the lower ionosphere with low-frequency radio waves have demonstrated that thunderstorms and lightning can have substantial impacts in the nighttime ionospheric D region. However, it remains a challenge to quantify such effects in the daytime lower ionosphere. The wealth of electron density data acquired over the years by the Arecibo Observatory incoherent scatter radar (ISR) with high vertical spatial resolution (300-m in the present study), combined with its tropical location in a region of high lightning activity, indicate a potentially transformative pathway to address this issue. Through a systematic survey, we show that daytime sudden electron density changes registered by Arecibo’s ISR during thunderstorm times are on average different than the ones happening during fair weather conditions (driven by other external factors). These changes typically correspond to electron density depletions in the D and E region. The survey also shows that these disturbances are different than the ones associated with solar flares, which tend to have longer duration and most often correspond to an increase in the local electron density content.

Satellite-observed lightning hotspots in India and lightning variability over tropical South India

Lightning characteristics in India are examined with satellite-based Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) and ground-based Indian Lightning Detection Network (ILDN). LIS observations indicated that synoptic weather systems are major contributors of lightning in Indian hotspots. Western disturbances (mid-tropospheric systems with extratropical origin) were the greatest contributor of lightning in the Himalayas (93%), tropical cyclonic storms and low-pressure systems (oceanic in origin) were key lightning contributors in parts of eastern India (43%), and lower tropospheric troughs were major contributors in other hotspots. For the first time, this study reported the occurrence of significantly high lightning activity before active monsoon spells in the Central India region (65–87° E, 18–27° N). Consequently, satellite-based lightning observations could be used to predict active monsoon spells. Harmonic analysis was used to study diurnal lightning-flash density. The maximum observed standardized diurnal amplitude of lightning activity was 0.35, and maximum explained diurnal variation was 15%. Also, for the first time, we compared the ILDN data and LIS observations, and found good agreement regarding lightning variability. LIS data showed an increase in annual lightning activity in tropical South-western India (SWI), and the results also suggested that during El Niño and negative Indian Ocean Dipole periods, SWI experiences above-average lightning activity.