From Iceland — Arctic Lightning On The Rise

Arctic Lightning On The Rise

Published January 13, 2022

Andie Sophia Fontaine
Photo by
Benjamin Stäudinger/Wikimedia Commons

2021 saw some 7,278 lightning strikes across the Arctic region, Fréttablaðið reports.

Join our High Five Club at either the ‘Secret Handshake’ or ‘Elbow Five’ level, and get our monthly magazine emailed to you. And if you join before January 14th you can chat with the Grapevine Team on a Zoom call.

This is nearly double the number of lightning strikes than have been recorded in the Arctic area in the previous nine years in the region north of 80°N, as Vaisala, the Finnish company which recorded these measurements, has announced.

Iceland is not this far north, and lightning strikes, while uncommon, are not at all rare in this country. In fact, the Icelandic Met Office hosts a detailed lightning map of the region.

As lightning requires warm air to happen, the dramatic rise of lightning strikes in the Arctic region is a strong indication of warming temperatures, most likely brought upon by climate change. Iceland is no exception, either, as lightning strikes have increased significantly in the country in recent years.

Support The Reykjavík Grapevine!
Buy subscriptions, t-shirts and more from our shop right here!

Show Me More!