Tonga's Hunga Eruption Sets Lightning Records

The Tonga eruption in January 2022 triggered an 11-hour lightning marathon that produced over 192,000 flashes, including the largest lightning rings ever observed. The eruption generated a powerful tsunami and launched a plume of material beyond the stratosphere, making it the biggest volcanic eruption of the 21st century so far. The lightning storm produced the highest lightning rates ever documented and occurred at heights of 20 to 30 kilometers in the air. The study suggests that volcanic plumes can create the conditions for lightning initiation well outside the range of meteorological thunderstorms previously observed in Earth's atmosphere.