
08/02/2025
USA recorded the world's longest 'mega lightning', a single bolt spanning 515 miles!⚡️
World Meteorological Organization has officially recognized a “megaflash” of lightning that stretched an astonishing 515 miles across five U.S. states—the longest single bolt ever recorded.
This record-breaking flash occurred on October 22, 2017, arcing from eastern Texas through Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kansas before ending near Kansas City, Missouri—all in just seven seconds. It surpassed the previous mark of 477 miles set in 2018.
Ground-based sensors at the time couldn’t capture its full length, so researchers turned to data from NOAA’s GOES-16 geostationary satellite. By applying new algorithms to isolate the bolt from millions of others, they reconstructed its true extent and detailed their findings in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.
Beyond showcasing advances in satellite lightning mapping, the discovery highlights the danger of “bolts from the gray”—strikes that can travel hundreds of miles from their parent storm. Experts warn that lightning can arrive with little warning far from visible thunderheads, reinforcing the need for safety measures even when the sky appears clear.