The area stretching from southeast Queensland down to Victoria is a known lightning magnet in Australia. This is the stomping ground for the bulk of the country's storm chasing community.
Thunderstorms are most frequent over the northern half of the country, and generally decrease southward, with lowest frequencies in southeast Tasmania. A secondary maximum is also apparent in southeast Queensland and over central and eastern New South Wales, extending into the northeastern Victorian highlands.
Of the capital cities, Darwin is Australia's stormiest capital city, experiencing around 54 lighting pulses per square kilometre per year.
In a year, Weatherzone estimates Darwin experiences 54 lightning pulses per square kilometre — making it the most lightning-prone capital city in Australia.
Miami and New Orleans top the list of US cities that tolerate the greatest number of major rainstorms a year. These cities average over 20 days annually when an inch or more of rain pelts down. Altogether, 12 American cities put up with over 13 days a year of heavy rain.
Wide temperature variation is necessary for a good thunderstorm to get going. In fact, the answer might surprise you. With an annual average of 89 thunderstorms, Fort Myers, Florida, is the thunderstorm capital of the U.S. And that's not some climatic anomaly, either.
Approximately half of all bush fires in Australia are the result of lightning strikes. Lightning is seen less frequently over the oceans, and is very rare over the north and south poles. Lightning also occurs on other planets.
Risk Factors for Lightning Strikes
A UQ mathematician, Professor Peter Adams, calculated that Australians have a 1 in 12,000 chance of being struck by lightning, which is more than 650 times the chance of winning the Lotto, which is one in eight million.
Whether inside or outside, anyone in contact with anything connected to metal wires, plumbing, or metal surfaces that extend outside is at risk. This includes anything that plugs into an electrical outlet, water faucets and showers, corded phones, and windows and doors.
A UK study rated Tasmania one of the best places to survive a collapse in society. Scientists say Tasmania's climate, agricultural resources and electricity supply make it an ideal refuge should "things go pear-shaped"
The city of Perth has the best weather/climate in Australia. The city enjoys a temperate Mediterranean climate with hot and dry summers and mild but wet winters. Perth is also the sunniest capital city in Australia and is considered one of the hottest experiencing over 250+ days of sunny blue skies.
Cyclone Mahina was the deadliest cyclone in recorded Australian history, and also likely the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere. Mahina struck Bathurst Bay, Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, on 4 March 1899, and its winds and enormous storm surge combined to kill more than 300 people.
The parts of Australia most at risk of cyclones are northern Queensland, northern Western Australia and the Northern Territory and the typical Australian tropical cyclone season averages nine to 13 tropical cyclones.
Surviving a lightning strike
If someone around you is struck by lightning, immediately call 911, says the National Weather Service. People who have been struck by lightning don't carry an electrical charge, according to the CDC – so it's safe to touch and move them. Get them indoors if possible.
Stay off corded phones, computers and other electrical equipment that put you in direct contact with electricity. Avoid plumbing, including sinks, baths and faucets. Stay away from windows and doors, and stay off porches. Do not lie on concrete floors, and do not lean against concrete walls.
But the odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are less than one in a million, and almost 90% of all lightning strike victims survive.
According to NASA Earth Observatory: "With an average flash rate of 389 per day, Lake Maracaibo in northern Venezuela (shown above) has the highest flash extent density in the world. That region's unique geography fuels weather patterns that make it a magnet for thunderstorms and lightning.
The North and South Poles and the areas over the oceans have the fewest lightning strikes.
The lightning capital of the world can be found in Venezuela, where the Catatumbo River meets Lake Maracaibo.
The safest thing you can do during a thunderstorm is quickly find shelter inside when you first hear thunder and remain indoors for 30 minutes after the last sounds of thunder. While inside, it is important to avoid corded telephones, desktop computers, or other electrical equipment.
Texas witnessed 368 major disasters from 1953 through 2022, according to MoneyWise, the most of any state. The recent standout is 2017's Hurricane Harvey, which had more than $125 billion in damage — most of it from catastrophic flooding in Texas.
In terms of its annual average and taking the entire region into consideration, the Democratic Republic of Congo is the most thunderstorm-prone country on earth.