Intra-Cloud and Cloud to Ground Lightning Detected Within Hurricanes Dennis and Emily by the United States Precision Lightning Network

Weather Decision Technologies (WDT) and TOA Systems have developed the United States Precision Lightning Network (USPLN™). This network provides real-time lightning stroke detection over a large geographic extent including the United States, Canada, most of the Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico. Lightning patterns are analyzed within two major hurricanes, Dennis and Emily, during the month of July, 2005. A storm-following analysis was employed utilizing various radii to include only near-storm environment lightning. Significant amounts of intra-cloud flashes were detected and each storm presented large amounts of eyewall lightning at various points during their life cycle. Most of the eyewall lightning occurred just prior to landfall as a major hurricane in each case. Overall, large amounts of intra-cloud flashes and cloud to ground strokes were detected within each storm during their paths across the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.