Lightning activity over central Europe in years 2017-2022 (analysis of ISS-LIS data)

We analyze the lightning activity over central Europe from 2017 to 2022 using the optical data from the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) on board the International Space Station (ISS). The area of interest covers a central European region limited by 54.5° N, 7.5° E and 44.5° N, 22.5° E. A total number of 68192 lightning flashes was detected during 1805 ISS orbital overpasses. This study compares the lightning activity in central Europe to the global lightning activity and investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. While there is a global reduction of the lightning activity during the lockdowns in 2020, no significant decrease is observed in central Europe.

On the territory of Czechia, the highest density of flashes was detected in the northwestern part of the country. We combine the ISS-LIS data with measurements of the Shielded Loop Antenna with Versatile Integrated Amplifier (SLAVIA) detectors located in this region. The measurements of the ISS-LIS and SLAVIA detectors are combined with data from the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) or Global Lightning Dataset (GLD360) in order to understand the correlation between electromagnetic radiation from selected lightning flashes and their optical characteristics observed from space.