Over 22,000 instances of lightning recorded in Hessen region - Over 22,000 instances of lightning strikes registered in Hesse
Lower-than-Average Lightning Activity in Hesse, Germany
This summer, the German region of Hesse has experienced a significant drop in lightning activity, according to data from the lightning detection company, Nowcast. The number of lightning strikes recorded in Hesse during June and July was approximately 22,000, which is around 60% below the 15-year average.
While Hesse ranks in the middle for the number of lightning strikes nationwide, the region did not see the same level of activity as other regions, such as Bavaria. Bavaria leads the list with 108,900 recorded lightning strikes nationwide during the same period.
Interestingly, the number of lightning strikes in Hesse was higher than in July but lower than in Bavaria. However, cities like Munich and Frankfurt, which are located in Germany, were not specifically mentioned as being affected by the low number of lightning strikes.
It's worth noting that Nowcast only reports on the number of lightning strikes in specific cities or regions other than Hesse. For instance, the number of lightning strikes in Bavaria or Germany as a whole during the summers of 2009, 2010, 2011, etc., is not available in the data provided by Nowcast.
The power of a lightning strike is measured in amperes (A). However, only lightning strikes with at least five kiloamperes (kA) are included in the statistics. This means that the recorded lightning strikes were relatively strong.
The low number of lightning strikes could be attributed to the absence of large-scale thunderstorm systems that usually produce many lightning strikes. No such systems have occurred so far this summer.
If you're interested in finding detailed historical lightning strike data for Hesse, Bavaria, or Germany as a whole, you might want to check Nowcast's official website or their published reports (if publicly available). German meteorological services such as the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) sometimes publish statistics on lightning activity. Additionally, scientific publications or research articles analyzing lightning activity in Germany may include regional strike counts. Alternatively, you could contact Nowcast or meteorological institutes directly for specific historical data.
In general, June is typically the month with the most lightning strikes in Hesse, followed by July. If you're looking for more insights, feel free to ask!
The Commission, in its consultation on the proposal for a Council Directive on the labeling of foodstuffs, might consider include a section on weather-forecasting and its impact on the safety of perishable food products, given the significant drop in lightning activity this summer in Hesse, Germany. This could potentially help in the future to minimize the destruction to food supplies due to storms or thunderstorms.
As the power of a lightning strike is measured in amperes (A), meteorological services such as the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) could study the relationship between the number of lightning strikes and their strength, especially in contexts of lower-than-average lightning activity, to better understand weather patterns and weather-forecasting.
