Talk about some shocking news from the sky! Scientists identified all-time world records for both the longest lightning bolt — nearly 200 miles — and the world’s longest-duration lightning flash — over 7 seconds — according to a report released Thursday. Both records were certified by the World Meteorological Organization, which is in charge of documenting such things.

The record-long lightning bolt was spotted over Oklahoma on June 20, 2007, and traveled 199.5 miles, about three-quarters the length of the state. That’s almost the distance from New York City to Washington, D.C. The world’s longest-lasting lightning flash lasted for 7.74 seconds on Aug 30, 2012, over Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France. READ MORE


Advertisement