Ask the Meteorologist: How this July's lightning compares to the past
FOREST HOME ALSO HAPPENED ON
SATURDAY AFTER A LIGHTNING
STRIKE.
>> WITH THE RECENT LIGHTNING
STRIKES INTO HOMES THAT WE'VE
REPORTED ON. DOES THIS MEAN WE
ARE SEEING AN ABNORMAL AMOUNT
OF LIGHTNING STRIKES THIS
SUMMER? METEOROLOGIST CHRIS
MICHAELS ANSWERS THAT IN
TODAY'S ASK THE METEOROLOGIST
PRESS EVERY DAY HAS JUST BEEN
SO ACTIVE LATELY AND ESPECIALLY
WHEN YOU SEE PICTURES LIKE
THIS, THIS WAS IN SMITHFIELD
FROM THIS PAST WEEKEND. THANKS
TO JAY WHITLEY FOR.
>> THAT SHOT OF THE LIGHTNING
STRIKE. JUST CARVING OUT THAT
PATH IN THE TREE. THERE.
NOW OVER THE COURSE OF THE
MONTH, WE'VE SEEN 177,000
LIGHTNING STRIKES IN NORTH
CAROLINA. SO IS THAT MORE THAN
NORMAL? IT'S MORE THAN WE'VE
SEEN OVER THE PAST SEVERAL
YEARS. IN FACT, THE LAST TIME
WE SAW THIS MUCH LIGHTNING IN
JULY WAS BACK IN 2019 WHEN WE
SAW MORE THAN 200,000 LIGHTNING
STRIKES. SO HOW DOES THIS EVEN
HAPPEN? NUMBER ONE, YOU'VE GOT
THE VERY HOT, VERY HUMID AIR
THAT RISES. AND THEN UP TOP
THE HEIRS, VERY COLD. SO THAT
DIFFERENCE IN TEMPERATURES AND
ALLOWS THE FROZEN IN LIQUID
PRECIPITATION TO COLLIDE.
THEY EXCHANGE ELECTRICAL
CHARGES SO THAT ELECTRICAL
FIELD BETWEEN THE CLOUD IN THE
GROUND. IT BUILDS IT
STRENGTHENS. AND THAT'S HOW YOU
GET YOUR LIGHTNING SO YOU CAN
BLAME A LOT OF THIS ON THE
HUMIDITY THAT WE'VE SEEN IN
RECENT WEEKS. THANKFULLY A
BREAK FROM THAT. COMING UP.
I'LL SHOW YOU WHEN IN JUST