Unusual thunderstorms near the Arctic: Signs of the Arctic Warming?

Thunderstorms are rare in cold, dry Arctic, but the surprising August 2019 event brings scientists to rethink how these storms form in the polar regions. A team of researchers from China’s University of Science and Technology has revealed new insights into the phenomenon.

Their findings, published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, reveal a strong connection between the warming of the Arctic and the development of rare thunderstorms that have come closer to the Arctic than previously recorded.

On August 12th-13th, 2019, a Lightning Location Network (wwlln) around the world detected 342 thunderstorms, with 122 occurring in one thunderstorm. The storm began over the Arctic ice sheet, travelled towards the Arctic, crossed the Greenwich meridian and eventually dissipated into the Western Hemisphere. Surprisingly, it was only within 44 kilometres of the Arctic. This is the closest lightning event ever recorded near the top of the world.

“This thunderstorm was different from what we normally see in the Arctic,” said Jianqiu Zheng, one of the study’s corresponding authors. “It formed during the Arctic warming event, when a warm, humid airflow was pushed north on an ice cap, creating the unstable conditions needed for thunderstorms to develop.”

What made this thunderstorm even more unusual was its formation mechanism. Unlike most thunderstorms that begin near the ground, this thunderstorm began about 1.5 km above the surface. The combination of cold air masses on ice and the frontal system created the perfect condition for warm, humid air to rise in the atmosphere, creating the “thunderstorms rising.”

“The Arctic is warming faster than any other region on Earth, and this event shows how it can lead to unexpected weather patterns,” added Baohua Ren, the research’s corresponding author. “As temperatures rise, we may see more thunderstorms in areas that were once very rare.”

This study highlights the complex relationship between Arctic warming and extreme weather phenomena. As global temperatures continue to rise, scientists are left with pressing questions. Will thunderstorms become more common in the Arctic? How will shrinking sea ice affect these storms? And what role do global warming events play in their development?

This study not only highlights the unique features of Arctic thunderstorms, but also highlights the need for further research. By understanding how these storms form and evolve, scientists want to better predict how climate change will shape the future of the Arctic.