No matter how much science has made progress, there are still many places on earth where scientists have failed to solve a mystery. One such place is there in Venezuela, located in the northern coast of South America, where lightning continues to strike atop a lake all the time, but no one knows its secret till now.
You must have heard that lightning never strikes twice in the same place, but here lightning strikes thousands of times in an hour at same place.
This mystery that has surprised one and all is called ‘Beacon of Maracaibo’. It is known by several other names, such as Catatumbo Lightning, Everlasting Storm. This place is also called the natural power house of the world.
According to a report, the Catatumbo River in Venezuela, where it joins Lake Maracaibo, has 260 stormy days in a year. During this period, there’s uninterrupted lightning in the night.
Maracaibo Lake has a mention in the Guinness Book as the place which has most lightening. However, this lightning is less in the winter season, but plenty in rainy season. According to another report, lightning flashes here 28 times every minute in this season.
You will be surprised to know that the lightning is visible even from a distance of 400 kilometres. People say that it looks as if the sky is bathing in multicoloured light.
Actually, experts have been busy for years to know why so much lightning happens in this area. In 1960s, it was believed that uranium is high in the area, so lightning often strikes in this place.
Scientists had conducted a research, which showed the oil regions near the lake have an abundant amount of methane which might be the reason behind it.
However, the theories of uranium and methane have not been proven authentically. Therefore, this place still remains a mystery to the entire world.
PNN/Agencies