Solar Winds Increase Lightning-Generated Thunderstorms

A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Reading in England looks at higher-energy solar winds and its influence on lightning. As previous theories have suggested that lightning on Earth is triggered by cosmic rays, new evidence shows that thunderstorms may be influenced by other energy particles.

Researchers found that lightning rates across Europe increased for up to 40 days around the arrival of high-speed solar winds, which can travel at more than a million miles per hour into the Earth's atmosphere, according to the Financial Express.  

Though all the kinks have not been entirely worked out, researchers believe that the electrical properties of the air alter incoming charged particles from the solar wind that create collision with the atmosphere. In time, they may be able to predict the severity of hazardous weather conditions along with the help of monitors from space.

"Our main result is that we have found evidence that high-speed solar wind streams can increase lightning rates. This may be an actual increase in lightning or an increase in the magnitude of lightning, lifting it above the detection threshold of measurement instruments," lead author of the study, Chris Scott, said, in the press release. "Cosmic rays, tiny particles from across the Universe accelerated to close to the speed of light by exploding stars, have been thought to play a part in thundery weather down on Earth, but our work provides new evidence that similar, if lower energy, particles created by our own Sun also affect lightning."

"As the Sun rotates every 27 days these high-speed streams of particles wash past our planet with predictable regularity. Such information could prove useful when producing long-range weather forecasts," Scott concluded.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Environmental Research Letters.