A return stroke model based purely on the current dissipation concept

•Engineering return stroke models can be divided into three types.•They are Current Propagation, Current Generation and Current Dissipation.•In this paper a model based on Current Dissipation concept is introduced.•The model has three input parameters.•The model predictions agree with experimental observations.

A return stroke model based purely on the current dissipation concept is introduced. With three model parameters the model is capable of generating electric and magnetic fields that are in reasonable agreement with experimentally observed electromagnetic fields.