"When I was growing up, on occasion we would see 'heat lightning” (lightning with just flashes, no thunder, no rain, no bolts). I have not seen nor heard about this event in probably 50+ years. Does it still occur anywhere? If not, why not? We live on the east coast." — Joe

The reason you haven’t heard of heat lightning in recent years is because it’s a myth.

Well, kind of. More like a meteorological misnomer. Let’s back up a few steps.

Weather in your inbox

Forecast Location

Sign Up

By signing up you agree to the Terms & Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe at any time.

What is commonly referred to as heat lightning is actually just regular old lightning that is far enough in the distance that the thunder doesn’t reach your location.

The “heat” part of the moniker comes from the fact that we most commonly observe distant thunderstorms during the summer months when temperatures are hotter. This is because we’re often outside enjoying all the warm weather activities and the ingredients for pop-up storms are plentiful. 

So, long story short, there isn’t anything special about heat lightning. It’s not a distinct type of warm-weather lightning, but it is a fun fact you can now use to outsmart your friends.

Get More of Our News on Google

Set The Weather Company as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value.

And it is a safer way to observe Mother Nature’s striking beauty (see what I did there?). Since what is commonly referred to as heat lightning is typically scores of miles away, it is less likely you would be struck by it. However, storms can move quickly, so if you hear thunder, quickly move indoors.

While I would love to say the decrease in hearing about heat lightning is because of positive strides in science communication — and debunking weather myths — that is likely not the root cause.

It is more likely that it is because people are spending less time outdoors. Another big factor is light pollution, especially near big cities and sprawling suburbs, that makes faraway lightning harder to see.

Caitlin Kaiser graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with both an undergraduate and graduate degree in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences before starting her career as a digital meteorologist with weather.com.