In a single decade, summer lightning tripled across the Arctic, a change directly attributed to rapid Arctic warming, a new scientific paper reports. “Now that we have Arctic warming, you can really get a lot more of the optimal conditions for thunderstorms,” said Robert Holzworth, a University of Washington professor emeritus of Earth and space

Researchers predict a tripling of thunderstorms by the end of the century, which could lead to heavier rainfall and flash flooding, landslides and more lightning-sparked wildfires.

After the thunderstorms that moved through Southcentral Sunday evening, Anchorage broke a new record…the most consecutive days with a thunderstorm: three.

Thunderstorms are unusual in Unalakleet; however, a thunderstorm cell persisted in the area for longer than usual. Hot, dry conditions across Alaska have increased the risk of wildland fire, including that started from lightening strike.

Records show there were 18 years without any days of thunderstorms in Anchorage. The average is about 1.4 days of thunderstorms a year. This year there have already been four, and more over the Chugach.

After several warm days, lightning bolts struck Finland about 16,000 times on Saturday. By evening, nearly 20,000 customers were without electricity. More trees may be felled as electrical storms move toward the Russian border.