New world record announced for length of single flash of lightning

Also in the U.S., the World Meteorological Organization officially certified on Thursday a new world record for the longest lightning flash.

The bolt during a storm on October 22, 2017 stretched 829 kilometers from eastern Texas to near Kansas City, Missouri.

Such a "megaflash" occurs in very large storm complexes, or mesoscale convective systems, that can span hundreds of kilometers and last for hours.

It was measured using the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's newest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, combined with ground-based lightning networks.

This flash surpasses the previous record of 768 kilometers, logged in April 2020, also over the southern U.S. plains.