With summer storms comes the peak of lightning, between July and August

"In Northern Italy, most lightning strikes occur between June and August , with a peak in particular between July and August , so we are currently in the month with the most electrical manifestations ," Sante Laviola, a researcher at the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate of the National Research Council, told ANSA. The last few days have in fact seen violent thunderstorms characterised by a high number of lightning strikes and the phenomenon will continue in the coming hours. "We will also see a drop in temperatures in the South caused by the intrusion of cold air that has pushed the African anticyclone back - says Laviola - and intense and very localised thunderstorms are still expected, which will discharge a very high quantity of water in limited areas". The reason why the peak in lightning occurs in the summer months is that it is precisely in this period that the most intense thunderstorms are concentrated: lightning, in fact, forms in the most rapidly developing clouds , which see ice particles and water droplets collide and become electrically charged. "We come from a period in which the African anticyclone remained over our country for a long time, releasing heat into the atmosphere", underlines Laviola. "Now, however, we are in an opposite situation, in which the fresh air has wedged itself into Northern Italy and is proceeding towards the South . This has led to a mixing of the air - continues the researcher - and the formation of very intense storm systems with hail and strong winds , such as the so-called 'downbursts', those gusts that bend trees and take the roofs off". The heat released by the African anticyclone in recent weeks has translated into a large amount of energy released into the air . "This energy has increased the capacity of the atmosphere to retain water vapor and - concludes Laviola - for each additional degree approximately 7% more water vapor is retained".