Spatial Mapping of Lightning Flash Characteristics in Windstorm-Prone Areas

Abstract

Tropical thunderstorms, characterized by intense convective activity, pose significant risks in equatorial regions like Malaysia, where they often produce severe wind gusts and frequent lightning. The relationship between lightning activity and windstorm dynamics remains underexplored, particularly in tropical mesoscale convective systems (MCS). This research investigates the spatial distribution of lightning flash types, which are cloud flashes (IC), negative cloud-to-ground flashes (-CG), and positive cloud-to-ground flashes (+CG), across radial zones (5 km, 10 km, 15 km) during a windstorm event in Johor Bahru on 30 November 2022. Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS) software was used to map and analyze the spatial distribution of lightning flashes. IC flashes dominated near the thunderstorm core (15.76% within 5 km), while CG flashes were most prevalent (84.24% within 5 km), indicating strong updrafts and charge separation. In contrast, +CG flashes were rare near the core but increased slightly at greater distances (2.78% at 10 km), suggesting charge redistribution during thunderstorm decay. The findings demonstrate that fine-scale radial zoning of lightning data can improve storm structure analysis and early warning systems in tropical regions.