Tonga's Hunga eruption caused record-breaking lightning storm.

The January 15, 2022, eruption of Tonga's Hunga Volcano produced the most intense lightning ever recorded, with nearly 200,000 lightning flashes in the volcanic plume throughout the eruption, peaking at more than 2,600 flashes every minute. The eruption created a "supercharged" thunderstorm because the highly energetic expulsion of magma vaporized seawater, which rose up into the plume and eventually formed electrifying collisions between volcanic ash, supercooled water, and hailstones. The lightning provided insight into not only the duration of the eruption but also its behavior over time, which can provide better monitoring and nowcasting of aviation-related hazards during a large volcanic eruption, including ash cloud development and movement.