Premium
Compiling lightning counts for the UK land area and an assessment of the lightning risk facing UK inhabitants
Author(s) -
Elsom Derek M.,
Enno SvenErik,
Horseman Andrew,
Webb Jonathan D. C.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
weather
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.467
H-Index - 40
eISSN - 1477-8696
pISSN - 0043-1656
DOI - 10.1002/wea.3077
Subject(s) - lightning (connector) , meteorology , geography , population , environmental science , demography , power (physics) , physics , quantum mechanics , sociology
New estimates of lightning counts from the Met Office ATDnet system are obtained for the ‘UK land area’ and compared with those currently available for the ‘UK service area’ (which includes Republic of Ireland and surrounding seas). Annual counts average 38% of those in the ‘UK service area’. Case studies of thundery periods highlight daily differences. The new annual counts offer a more accurate estimate of the lightning risk facing the UK population. For the period 2008–2016, one lightning death occurred, on average, per 59 000 lightning counts, and one person was either killed or injured per 4000–5000 counts.