Where the Catatumbo River meets Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela, lightning strikes up to 300 times a year for as many as 9 hours a night. "Catatumbo Lightning," also known as the Maracaibo Beacon, holds the Guinness World Record for the "highest concentration of lightning," and NASA has declared it the Lighting Capital of the World.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that Catatumbo Lightning "strikes people three to four times more [t]here than in the United States." The local fishermen are especially at risk because they go out at dusk when the fish are biting. NOAA is studying Catatumbo to achieve more accurate lighting predictions to protect the lake's 20,000 fishermen, many of whom die every year.
The danger brings with it incredible beauty. As the narrator in this BBC video says, "If the elements could write poetry across the sky, it would surely look like this."
If you have the time, watch this twenty-minute short film with footage recorded over three separate trips to the area.
The lightning stopped entirely from January to March 2010, leading to concern that the lightning had stopped permanently. For all the danger the lightning presents, it is an integral part of the local culture, featuring prominently on their state flag and in their anthem.
Previously: Striking video: Lightning bolt zaps eagle nest to smithereens (the birds survive)