Lightning strikes kill thousands globally each year, but for those who survive, the storm is far from over

Every year, an estimated 6,000 to 24,000 people lose their lives to lightning across the globe, with many more suffering injuries. Lightning researcher Dr. Rakesh Bakshi, from the University of North Dakota, explains that the severity of these impacts varies greatly depending on the region. While the physics of lightning remains constant, the consequences differ across different parts of the world.

Central Africa, one of the most lightning-active regions globally, has been a focus of Dr. Bakshi's research for the past decade. In collaboration with the African Centres for Lightning and Education Network, a nonprofit organization, Dr. Bakshi has been working to compile the largest publicly available database on lightning casualties on the continent.

Collecting data for this database proved challenging due to several factors, including limited internet access, civil unrest, and cultural beliefs attributing lightning strikes to supernatural forces, particularly in the Global South. Additionally, language barriers, with at least 75 languages spoken by over a million people on the African continent, further complicated the tracking of news reports about lightning strikes.

Africa experiences an annual average of 2 million to 4 million lightning strikes. The Congo Basin, located near the equator, receives intense solar heating throughout the year, leading to the formation of warm and moist air that fuels powerful thunderstorms. The interaction between the Congo rainforest and the Gulf of Guinea air masses creates some of the most electrically active thunderstorms on Earth.

However, the frequency of lightning alone does not account for the high number of injuries and fatalities in Africa. The real issue lies in exposure and vulnerability. To address this, the research team developed a risk scoring system based on three factors: the number of lightning strikes a country experiences (hazard), the number of people injured or killed relative to the population (exposure), and the population's vulnerability, determined by gross domestic product per capita according to the World Bank. The overall risk score is derived from multiplying these three scores together.

Out of the 15 African countries where the team has sufficient data, 14 are classified as either high or very high lightning risk categories. South Africa is the only exception, where lightning hazard is moderate, vulnerability is low, and safety improvements are aided by a robust lightning research team. The higher number of reported lightning incidents in South Africa can be attributed to better reporting systems, wider media coverage, and a predominantly English-speaking population, which facilitates easier documentation and sharing of incidents.