Environmental experts explain why lightning strikes so frequently
By Adnan Tazvir
Our misunderstanding regarding the lighting strikes since our childhood! Lightning flashes and lightning strikes in the sky because of friction between the clouds. But in reality, it is so! If so, why did the number of lightning strikes suddenly increase so much over the years in the south- East Asia? Did the clouds suddenly pushing each other more or increase!
If it is so, then why so many people lost their lives in the storm recently in Bangladesh and the eastern part of India?
The reasons have identified by meteorologists and environmentalists
According to meteorologists and environmentalists, one of the major causes is pollution.
Multi-story construction by cutting down trees, factories’ smoke, and cars’ smoke are mainly liable for this. It is seen that where construction is going on all times a round year, the environment is being highly polluted.
Not enough trees are being planted and growing compared to cutting down. Excessive pollution is causing hot dust to rise in the air, creating a favorable environment for lightning. Meanwhile, a large amount of water vapor remains in the upper atmosphere before and after the monsoon from May to June.
Whenever warm air tries to rise, electricity is generated by friction with other air and water particles. As a result, each water particle is acting as a battery. Then the lightning strikes.
Lightning and rain usually come from the cumulonimbus clouds. That is why this cloud is called the thundercloud. Over the last few years, the amount of thunderstorms in Bangladesh has increased from April to June. One of the reasons is the excess of water vapor in the air. Another reason is the temperature rise.
In addition, pollution is entirely associated with this temperature rise. As the level of pollution increases, so does the average temperature. As a result, the ideal environment for the formation of thunderclouds is being created.
Moreover, after a cyclone leaves, a lot of water vapor remains in the air. Now the same has happened in Bangladesh and eastern parts of India. Because, a few days ago, a very strong Cyclone Yaas hit the coast of Orissa.
Due to which a large amount of water vapor has entered the state from the Bay of Bengal. At the same time, the temperature in Bangladesh and its adjoin Indian part have risen since May. Intense heat occurs in the morning and afternoon. Overall, there is an ideal environment for local thunderstorms to form here. As a result, it is starting to rain with thunderstorms almost every afternoon.
Pramit Devvarman, a scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology(IITM), said “The depth of these cumulonimbus clouds is usually very high. As its depth was 12 kilometers. “Climate change is happening.”
Due to the increase in pollution in the environment, the temperature is much higher than before. As a result, the amount of lightning is also increasing. The thunderstorms are usually “cloud to ground” in a small space which means the lightning strikes and direct hitting the surface.
