The Lightning Cam is currently positioned overlooking Pretoria from the
South. The camera is configured to capture a new image every 10
minutes, 24 hours per day. If lightning is detected, the images are
uploaded immediately, resulting in a much quicker refresh rate.
Lightning in Gauteng occurs mainly during the Summer months, between
October and April. Late afternoon and evening thundershowers are common
during these months, but do not normally last long.
It is a fact that the highveld region of South Africa and Lesotho have amongst the highest lightning strikes per square km per annum in the world.
On average every square km of South African highveld and Natal receives 7 direct lightning strikes per annum.
The facts are a direct or indirect lightning strike within a 1,5km radius of your home or office can generate as much as 120 million volts and up to 180 000 Amps, sending lethal surges ripping through power cables and telephone lines. The core temperature of a lightning strike is as high as 20 000 deg C or five times as hot as the surface of the sun.
