Megaflash Explained: A Texas A&M Scientist Witnessed the Record-Setting Lightning Strike
Lightning is one of nature’s most powerful and fascinating phenomena, and in recent years, scientists have observed lightning bolts of unprecedented scale—so-called megaflashes. One of the most extraordinary of these occurred in April 2020, and it has since entered the record books. A Texas A&M University scientist was among those who closely studied this jaw-dropping event, helping the world understand just how extreme lightning can get.
What Is a Megaflash?
A megaflash is not your typical lightning bolt. While standard lightning usually extends just a few miles and lasts under a second, a megaflash travels much farther and can persist for several seconds. These massive discharges of electricity stretch across hundreds of miles horizontally, often within the cloud layer rather than striking the ground. Unlike the more familiar cloud-to-ground bolts that we associate with thunderstorms, megaflashes travel laterally, linking multiple storm systems or cells in a single, colossal electrical burst.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) defines a megaflash based on two main records: the longest horizontal distance and the longest duration of a single lightning flash. These phenomena are rare, difficult to detect with ground-based instruments, and require satellite data for proper measurement.
The Record-Breaking Flash
On April 29, 2020, a lightning megaflash stretched a staggering 477 miles (768 kilometers) across the southern United States, covering parts of Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. This event shattered the previous horizontal lightning record of 440 miles, which was set in Brazil in 2018.
The flash was detected and confirmed using satellite data from instruments like the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) aboard NOAA’s GOES-16 and GOES-17 weather satellites. These high-resolution sensors continuously monitor the Western Hemisphere for lightning activity, enabling researchers to see the full extent of the flash in unprecedented detail.
The Role of Texas A&M Scientist
One of the scientists who contributed to the understanding and analysis of this record-setting flash was Dr. Richard Blakeslee, an atmospheric scientist affiliated with Texas A&M and formerly a NASA researcher. Dr. Blakeslee and his team were among the experts tasked with validating and interpreting the satellite data. Their work involved distinguishing between multiple flashes and identifying the single continuous pathway that classified this event as a megaflash.
According to Dr. Blakeslee, the scale of this lightning strike challenges conventional ideas about how thunderstorms operate and how far electrical activity can propagate. It also raises questions about lightning safety protocols and infrastructure resilience in the face of such vast natural forces.
Why This Matters
Understanding megaflashes is not just a scientific curiosity—it has real-world implications. These massive lightning events are capable of affecting aviation, communication systems, and power grids. Their immense size and energy could pose hazards to aircraft flying near or through storm systems, and their electrical reach could trigger outages or fires over wide areas.
Furthermore, megaflashes are an important indicator of storm intensity and behavior. As climate change potentially increases the severity of storms, researchers are watching to see if megaflashes become more frequent or intense. Studying these rare events helps scientists refine their models of storm development and better predict extreme weather outcomes.
Technological Advances in Detection
The ability to observe and confirm megaflashes is a relatively recent development. Traditional ground-based lightning detection networks often miss the full extent of these horizontal flashes because they are designed to detect cloud-to-ground strikes. However, satellite technology like the GLM has transformed this field by offering continuous, broad-area coverage that captures the entire spatial and temporal footprint of lightning events.
The 2020 megaflash also highlights the collaborative nature of modern meteorological science. Agencies such as NOAA, NASA, and academic institutions like Texas A&M work together to interpret data and advance our understanding of Earth’s atmosphere.
Looking Ahead
As detection capabilities improve and more data becomes available, scientists expect to observe even more extreme lightning phenomena. Already, another megaflash set a new duration record in South America, lasting over 17 seconds. Each new discovery pushes the boundaries of what we know about lightning and reinforces the need for ongoing research.
For now, the April 2020 megaflash remains a stunning reminder of the power and complexity of our atmosphere—and of the vital role scientists play in helping us make sense of it. Thanks to the efforts of researchers like those at Texas A&M, the skies are yielding their secrets one flash at a time.
