Hanoi experienced a massive lightning strike on June 5, with over 10,200 bolts recorded in the sky and more than 7,000 hitting the ground. The General Department of Hydrometeorology reported that lightning strikes in Hanoi were occurring at an average rate of more than 470 strikes every 10 minutes. The strongest activity took place between 7:40 and 8:50 a.m., with thunder and lightning observed in various areas around the city.
Mr. Nguyen Duc Phuong, Head of the Weather Radar Department at the National Hydrometeorological Network Center, explained that Vietnam has a network of 18 lightning location stations connected to an international system. These stations can detect lightning within a range of 400-600 km, including at sea and near neighboring countries’ borders. Real-time data on lightning events are analyzed, displayed, and stored using this network. The statistics show that the lightning strikes in Hanoi on June 5 were within normal ranges compared to previous thunderstorms in the region.
Vietnam experiences high lightning activity due to being located in the center of Asian thunderstorms. The country sees up to 2 million lightning strikes annually, with thunderstorms more frequent in mountainous and delta regions. To help prevent lightning-related incidents, the National Hydrometeorological Network Center operates a system for monitoring lightning on their website, providing risk warnings and radar information to the public.
The statistics on the lightning strikes in Hanoi on June 5 were deemed normal compared to recent thunderstorm events in the region. The monitoring and analysis of lightning activity in Vietnam are essential to mitigate risks and ensure public safety during severe weather conditions.
Overall, Vietnam’s hydrometeorological experts rely heavily on a positioning network to gather real-time statistics on lighting strikes across the country. Despite experiencing high levels of thunderstorm activity throughout the year, Vietnam is well equipped with technology and resources to monitor and analyze this vital data for public safety purposes.
