Characteristics of lightning activity in tropical cyclones developed over North Indian Ocean basin during 2010–2015

• Lightning activity in tropical cyclones
• Lightning strokes in stages of cyclone
• Lightning stroke in cyclone eyewall
• Lightning stroke in outer rainband

The characteristics of lightning activity in tropical cyclones (TCs) over North Indian Ocean (NIO) are presented using sample of 21 TCs developed during 2010–2015 using TRMM and World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) datasets along with information from annual reports of Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC), New Delhi. The microphysical features such as Polarization Corrected Brightness Temperature (PCT), attenuation corrected reflectivity factor, Ice Water Path (IWP) play a pivotal role in development of convective systems within TCs. The TCs exhibited systematic variation in lightning flashes per day within 300 km of estimated center during their life cycle irrespective of their severity and flash rate within 300 km of storm center. The lightning flashes ranged from 1 to 3500 flashes per day during pre-cyclone stage, 100 to 8000 flashes per day during cyclone stage and 0 to 4300 flashes per day during post-cyclone stage. The TCs produced maximum flash density in eyewall region (20–40 km) and outer rainband region (200–260 km). The WWLLN recorded 165,512 flashes within 300 km of TC centers during their life cycle. The maximum flashes occurred during cyclone stage followed by pre-cyclone and post-cyclone. The time variation of flash rate for all cyclones was episodic and primarily peaked during late night and early morning hours. The diurnal variation of lightning flashes during TCs due to variation in detection efficiency of WWLLN also controls temporal distribution of lightning activity. During rapid intensification, TCs produced profuse lightning flashes per hour. Episodic lightning flashes per hour occurred during weakening stage and prior to landfall. It is evident that outbreaks of lightning flashes prior to maximum intensity change as manifested in maximum sustained wind speed and fall in estimated central pressure (ECP) indicate potential predictive value of lightning activity for TC intensity change.