The Invisible Lightning of Catatumbo

At the mouth of the Catatumbo River in Venezuela, a unique atmospheric phenomenon takes place where storms occur nearly 300 nights a year, producing approximately 1.2 million lightning strikes annually.

This spectacle, known as the Catatumbo Lightning or 'the beacon of Maracaibo', often lasts 10 hours a day with an intensity above anything seen anywhere else on the planet.

Amazingly, its light is nearly continuous and produces more ozone than any other natural phenomenon.

However, despite its intensity, it's practically impossible to hear the thunder from the Catatumbo Lightning because it occurs at about 5 kilometers above the ground.

This has led to its nickname as 'the silent lightning.' The persistence and high frequency of these thunderstorms have made them a reliable natural lighthouse, used for centuries by sailors for navigation and has also earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest concentration of lightning..