Study of lightning event duration and flash rate in the Iberian Peninsula using cloud-to-ground lightning data

The average monthly, seasonal and annual lightning event duration and lightning flash rates over the Iberian Peninsula were estimated using cloud-to-ground lightning flashes for the 1992–1994 period. The total lightning event duration was over 37,000 h year−1. Maximum values were found during the summer and were seen to be associated with mountainous areas, while minimum values were found during the winter and in the western and southern parts of the Iberian Peninsula. The spatial pattern of lightning event duration exhibited significant seasonal variations. The annual average of the mean and peak lightning flash rate was found to be 8.7 and 78.3 flashes (fl) h−1, respectively. The temporal and spatial variations in flash rate were similar to those of lightning event duration, but with significant differences. In general, lightning flash rate exhibited fewer temporal and spatial variations than lightning event duration.