A 10-YEAR CLIMATOLOGY OF LIGHTNING FOR MACEDONIA, GREECE

Abstract

The Hellenic National Meteorological Service (HNMS) has operated a low very low frequency lightning location network system since 2007. The network provides high detection efficiency with eight (8) sensors, strategically distributed across the continental and island territory of Greece. The data obtained through the “Time-Of-Arrival” method and they cover measurements of the time, location, polarity (positive or negative), peak current (in mA) of: cloud to cloud (CC), cloud to ground (CG) and ground to cloud (GC), lightning flashes. The objective on this research is, initially to collect and analyze all the available data information of the examined 10-year (2008-2017) period for the area of Macedonia, Greece and based upon all these information to develop the lightning climatology for the area of interest by creating lightning density maps on an annual, seasonal and monthly bases of total and positive-only lightning strike activities. Moreover, climatological analyses and studies are also performed for the “warm periods” (April to September) and for the “cold periods” (October to March) of the year, in order to investigate any temporal and spatial characteristics of lightning flashes, and particularly to emphasize and focus on days with excessive lightning. It is believed that studying the aforementioned characteristics of the previous 10 years lightning events (climatology), it provides useful information about risk areas, where property or life are threatened.