https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/lightning-rises-sharply-in-the-arctic/

Warmer temperatures and higher humidity may be key factors

• ByChelsea Harvey,E&E NewsonMarch 24, 2021

Lightning is relatively uncommon in the Arctic—the air is usually not warm enough for thunderstorms. Now that might be changing, new data suggests.

Astudyrecently published in the journalGeophysical Research Lettersfinds that Arctic lightning has tripled in the last decade alone.

The researchers, led by Bob Holzworth of the University of Washington, analyzed data collected by the World Wide Lightning Location Network between 2010 and 2020. The network, operated by the University of Washington, has lightning sensors all over the world.https://ceb258d7afeb1e94545e5bc0fcced611.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.htmlADVERTISEMENT

The new study focused on summer lightning flashes, or “strokes,” detected above 65 degrees latitude—that includes parts of northern Canada, Alaska and Russia, as well as Greenland and the central Arctic Ocean.

The data suggests that the total number of Arctic lightning strokes has…