Correlation Between Lightning Occurrence and Land-Sea Surface Temperatures in Italy

This study investigates how surface temperature influences lightning activity over the Italian peninsula and adjacent seas during 2020-2021. Monthly cloud-to-ground lightning data from the SIRF network were correlated with satellite-derived land and sea surface temperatures. Results show a pronounced positive correlation over land at short temporal scales, especially in northern Italy, while marine and coastal regions exhibit slightly lower correlations that peak at intermediate time lags (<tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$3-5$</tex> months). These patterns reflect the differing thermal responses of land and sea surfaces on convective processes. These findings highlight the distinct influence of land and sea warming on lightning occurrence, providing insights into the spatial and temporal variability of lightning discharges.