Arctic Lightning On The Rise

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

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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.