Lightning Bolt Breaks Record with 829km Flash Spanning Sydney to Melbourne Distance

A record-breaking lightning flash, stretching 829 kilometers, has been confirmed by the World Meteorological Organisation. This megaflash occurred in the US and surpassed the previous record by 61 kilometers. Scientists are rethinking safety implications as they gain a better understanding of these colossal electric events, which can travel long distances and have significant impacts on aviation and wildfire risks.

A record-breaking lightning flash, spanning 829 kilometers, has been confirmed by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). This megaflash, which occurred in the US, surpasses the previous record by 61 kilometers [1]. The event was detected by the NOAA's GOES-16 satellite in October 2017 but remained undiscovered for almost a decade until recent re-examination of satellite data [2].

The lightning flash, known as a "megaflash," is a rare and extreme weather phenomenon that can travel long distances from its origin point. This particular megaflash stretched from eastern Texas to Kansas City, Missouri, and was characterized by its exceptional duration and size. The flash was detected within the overhanging anvils and raining stratiform clouds of a mesoscale convective system (MCS), one of the largest and most intense thunderstorms on the planet [2].

The WMO's committee on weather and climate extremes used data from the GOES 16, 17, 18, and 19 satellites, positioned some 22,236 miles above Earth's surface, to map the origin of the flash. This data was then merged with ground-based lightning strike data from the Earth Networks Total Lightning Network to determine the full extent of the event [1].

The discovery of this megaflash highlights important public safety concerns about electrified clouds and the potential impacts of such events on the aviation sector and wildfire risks. Scientists are continuing to study these extreme weather phenomena to better understand their mechanics and implications.

References:
[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2025/07/31/record-lightning-texas-missouri/
[2] https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/earth-sciences/record-megaflash-lightning/