Lightning Activity in Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) by the Data of World Wide Lightning Location Network in 2009-2018

Abstract

The annual total lightning number detected by the WWLLN variated in 2009-2018 with quasi-period of 3-4 years. The local peaks were in 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2017. The mean lightning density was about 0.034 stroke/km2, it was corrected on the relative detection efficiency of the network. The regions of high lightning density are generally associated with cyclonic activity occurring to the south (southern region of Yakutia) and the terrain orography influence (high lightning density along the western slopes of the Verkhoyanskiy, Momskiy and Cherskiy ranges). The lightning density increases with height in Yakutia. The distribution of lightning density depending on elevation had two modes with different slopes of the linear increase. The lightning density is greater along western side of mountain chains. The maximum total number of lightning strokes was observed in 2017. There are interannual quasi-fluctuations of the total number of lightning strokes during the season and by months.