According to meteorological experts, the statistics of lightning strikes are made possible by a designed network that tracks, analyzes, and distributes data in real-time.
From 6 AM to 9 AM on June 5th, over 10,200 lightning strikes were recorded in the skies over Hanoi, with more than 7,000 strikes hitting the ground, as reported by the General Department of Meteorology and Hydrology. On average, over 470 lightning strikes hit the ground every 10 minutes, with the period from 7:40 AM to 8:50 AM showing the strongest activity. Areas such as Thuong Tin, Phu Xuyen, Thanh Oai, and Ung Hoa experienced dense thunder and lightning.
Quick statistics map from 6 AM to 9 AM in Hanoi and parts of neighboring provinces such as Hai Duong and Hung Yen (the cloud band causing lightning yesterday morning). (Source: National Meteorological and Hydrological Network Center)
Mr. Nguyen Duc Phuong, Head of the Weather Radar Department at the National Meteorological and Hydrological Network Center, stated that currently Vietnam has a network consisting of 18 lightning detection stations. This network is connected to the international lightning detection system, designed to detect, locate, analyze, display, store, and distribute real-time data on cloud-to-ground (CG) and intra-cloud (IC) lightning events. The network can detect lightning within a range of 400-600 km. Thus, in addition to detecting lightning in Vietnam’s mainland, the stations can also identify strikes occurring over the sea and near the borders of neighboring countries.
“With such a wide area, it is entirely possible to record 400 lightning strikes hitting the ground within a span of 10 minutes,” said Mr. Phuong.
Specifically, if specialists want to analyze the area, they need to select based on latitude and longitude to determine the number of lightning strikes occurring in that area over a specified time period. Quick statistics from 6 AM to 9 AM in Hanoi and parts of the neighboring provinces like Hai Duong and Hung Yen (the cloud band causing lightning yesterday morning) showed that between 6 AM and 7 AM, there were over 3,500 lightning strikes in the skies over Hanoi, with more than 2,300 strikes hitting the ground. From 7 AM to 8 AM, over 4,000 lightning strikes occurred, with nearly 2,900 strikes falling to the ground. From 8 AM to 9 AM, there were more than 2,600 lightning strikes, with over 1,800 hitting the ground. By 9 AM to 9:30 AM, the total number of strikes was down to over 290, with nearly 130 hitting the ground.
Lightning strikes in Hanoi in late August 2022. (Photo: Vu Anh).
Comparing with recent thunderstorms and lightning events in the Northern region, he assessed that the number of lightning strikes in Hanoi is not unusual. Most recently, between 3 PM and 6 PM on May 19th in the southern part of the Northern Delta (particularly in Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, and Ha Nam provinces), the sky saw over 107,000 lightning strikes, of which nearly 40,000 struck the ground. Between 5 PM and 7 PM on May 30th, Yên Bái recorded 11,980 lightning strikes, with over 3,700 hitting the ground. Thus, “the number of strikes in Hanoi, with 475 strikes per 10 minutes, is completely normal when compared to the two previous events,” Mr. Phuong stated.
Mr. Phuong also mentioned that the National Meteorological and Hydrological Network Center is operating a lightning detection and display network system at the website hymetnet.gov.vn. This website allows continuous monitoring of information regarding lightning and weather radar. “People can monitor lightning risk warnings on the website and the radar’s cloud feedback warning areas, as well as refer to it to prevent risks caused by thunderstorms.”
Vietnam is located in the heart of the Asian thunderstorm zone – one of the three thunderstorm centers in the world, with strong lightning activity. The average number of thunderstorm days in Vietnam is 100, with an average of 250 hours annually. The country experiences up to 2 million lightning strikes each year. The frequency of lightning is higher in mountainous areas, the midlands of the North, and the Mekong Delta. Thunderstorms typically occur in May and June in the North. Currently, Hanoi and the northern provinces are under the influence of a low-pressure trough at latitudes between 23-25 degrees North, leading to thunderstorms since yesterday morning.
