Air pollution increases chance of lightning strike: Study finds

Virginia: Human beings demand has been increasing day by day. Therefore, they are ready to go against nature, resulting in the rise of pollution and other environmental issues. However, experts believe that where there is more pollution, the chances of lightning strikes increase. Scientists from James Madison University (JMU) in Virginia studied data from over 500,000 thunderstorms in Washington, DC, and Kansas City over 12 years. They found that when there are tinier particles in the air (called aerosols), chances of more lightning occur.

Earlier, scientists studied the connection between pollution and lightning, and they are still doing research on it to get an exact reality. According to Mace Bentley, a geographer from JMU, pollution particles get pulled into clouds. The movement of air in the cloud separates these particles, which divides the electric charges in the cloud and leads to more lightning.

The team studied two types of particles: PM2.5 (up to 2.5 micrometers) and PM10 (up to 10 micrometers). They found that the number of particles matters more than their size. Generally, more particles lead to more lightning. However, if there are too many particles, they might reduce lightning by causing the storm to lose energy.

Many things affect thunderstorms, such as air movements and land types, so it’s complicated. Still, the researchers found similar results in both cities. No matter where you are, urban pollution seems to make thunderstorms stronger and produce more lightning.