Photo: Wikipedia Commons
Thanks to its humidity, its elevation
and the clash of winds from the mountains and the sea, the southwestern corner
of Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela has the world's highest frequency of lightning
activity (250 flashes per square kilometer per year).
More than 200 nights per year, with
peaks in May and October, lightning flashes fill the sky -- sometimes 25 or
more flashes per minute. To put that in perspective: The National Weather
Service classifies anything over 12 strikes per minute as
"excessive." Named for the Catatumbo River, which flows from Colombia
in to Lake Maracaibo, the Relampago de Catatumbo, or Catatumbo Lighting, has
become a highlight for travelers who spend their nights wide awake and
wide-eyed watching the spectacle.
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