Atlas Obscura Explores ‘The Everlasting Lightning Storm’ of the Catatumbo Region of Venezuela

“Everlasting Lightning Storm” is the latest episode of the Atlas Obscura series 100 Wonders that explains the Catatumbo Lightning of Venezuela. The unique geography of the region around Lake Maracaibo creates conditions that produce 140 to 160 fierce lightning storms per year, each lasting up to 10 hours with as many as 3,600 lightning flashes per hour.

As host Dylan Thuras explains, the lightning has even played historical significance for the city of Maracaibo, twice helping the locals repel invasion.