The Observatory registers record-breaking number of lightning strokes

9 September 2010

Hong Kong experienced heavy rain and active thunderstorms overnight on September 8 (Wednesday). During the six-hour period starting from 9pm, September 8, more than 25,000 cloud-to-ground lightning strokes were detected over Hong Kong. Most of the lightning strokes were concentrated over the western part of the New Territories (including Yuen Long, Tuen Mun and Tsuen Wan), Lantau Island and the southern part of Hong Kong Island. During the hour just after midnight, 13,102 cloud-to-ground lightning strokes were registered in Hong Kong, the highest in an hour since records of lightning data of Hong Kong Observatory began in 2005.

The public may refer to the Observatory's web page (www.hko.gov.hk/wxinfo/llis/stat.htm) for the number of lightning strokes recorded each hour in Hong Kong today and in the previous three days. For information about the lightning location network, please visit www.weather.gov.hk/wxinfo/llis/index.htm.