Lightning climatology over the northwest Pacific region: An 11-year study using data from the World Wide Lightning Location Network

The contribution of tropical cyclones (TCs) and the impact of El Nino and La Nina events on lightning climatology over the northwest Pacific region were also examined. Two areas of maximum TC lightning were observed to the east of the Philippines and south of China, indicating that frequent lightning is produced when TCs are approaching landfall. The average LD during El Nino events increases by 10.3%, whereas during La Nina events it decreases by 4.8%. A northward shift in the positive lightning anomaly was observed in the SCS, from the southern SCS during the El Nino to the central and northern SCS during the La Nina periods.