The Catatumbo lightning, also known as the Everlasting Storm, is an atmospheric phenomenon that occurs over and around Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela – typically over a bog area formed where the Catatumbo River flows into the lake.
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The lake and the surrounding area have been dubbed the lightning capital of the world, with the highest concentration of lightning strikes on the planet – as reported by NASA in 2021, the area receives an average rate of about 250 flashes per square kilometre per year.
The Catatumbo lightning isn’t actually everlasting – but it’s close. It can be observed for up to 300 days a year and lasts for up to 10 hours, striking the lake about 28 times a minute.
“The lightning can be so continuous that you see everything around you,” said Angel G. Munoz, a physicist and researcher at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in an article on NASA Earth Observation Data’s website.
The Catatumbo lightning is most active in the wetter months of September and October, and least active in January and February, when it’s generally drier.
The area owes this spectacular show to its unique geography. The plain is surrounded on three sides by mountains – high ridges of the Andes, the Perija Mountains and Merida’s Cordillera.
From the unobstructed side, low-level jet winds increase speed as the sun goes down, eventually colliding with the mountains. Electrically charged masses of moist and hot air are forced upwards, resulting in lightning.
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This phenomenon has influenced history in surprising ways. In 1595, the lightning illuminated a fleet of ships belonging to the English explorer and privateer Sir Francis Drake, ultimately saving the city from an attack.
In 1823, the phenomenon guided the fleet of Admiral Jose Prudencio Padilla to a battle which was critical for Venezuela to gain independence from the Spanish crown.
The state of Zulia, where Lake Maracaibo is located, has much pride in the Catatumbo Lightning – it’s featured on their flag, coat of arms, and mentioned in the state’s anthem.
Top image: Lightning of the Catatumbo. Credit: Christian Pinillo Salas/Getty Images
