30th International Conference on Lightning Protection - ICLP 2010

(Cagliari, Italy - September 13th -17th, 2010)

LIGHTNING OCCURRENCE DATA OBSERVED WITH

LIGHTNING LOCATION SYSTEMS OF ELECTRIC POWER
COMPANIES IN JAPAN: 1992-2008
Takatoshi Shindo, Hideki Motoyama(CRIEPI), Akira Sakai(Hokkaido Electric Power Company),
Noriyasu Honma(Tohoku Electric Power Company), Jun Takami(Tokyo Electric Power Company),
Masahito Shimizu(Chubu Electric Power Company), Kiyoshi Tamura(Kansai Electric Power Company),
Kazuo Shinjo(Hokuriku Electric Power Company), Fumio Ishikawa(Chugoku Electric Power
Company), Koichi Miyazaki(Shikoku Electric Power Company), Masateru Ikuta(Kyushu Electric
Power Company), Daisuke Takahashi(J-Power)
shindo@criepi.denken.or.jp, motoyama@criepi.denken.or.jp, h1983175@epmail.hepco.co.jp, w830105@tohoku-
epco.co.jp, Takami.jun@tepco.co.jp, Shimizu.Masahito@chuden.co.jp, tamura.kiyoshi@c2.kepco.co.jp,
k.shinjo@rikuden.co.jp, 341403@pnet.energia.co.jp, miyazaki12997@yonden.co.jp, Masatertu_Ikuta@kyuden.co.jp,
daisuke_takahashi@jpower.co.jp

from 1992 to 2008 observed with the lightning location

ABSTRACT
17 years of lightning data from 1992 to 2008 obtained
with lightning location system of 9 electric power companies
in Japan have been summarized and analyzed. The recent
annual number of lightning flashes of which current is more
than 10 kA in Japan is around one million and the 50%
value of cumulative distribution of lightning peak currents
is about 20kA. The variation of lightning occurrence
characteristics by areas, seasons and so on are clarified. The
relationship between lightning occurrence and climate,
detection efficiency and the version of lightning detection
systems are discussed.
1 INTRODUCTION
Cloud-to-ground lightning flash frequency is one of the
important factors for rational insulation design of power
transmission systems. Recently, lightning location system
have been widely used and lightning data with such
systems have been collected and summarized all over the
world [1-9]. In Japan, nine electric power companies
have their own lightning location systems and lightning
data have been collected. The Central Research Institute
of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI) has carried out
fundamental researches on the construction of a lightning
frequency map in cooperation with electric power
companies in Japan [10,11] and the lightning data form
1992 to 2001 have been summarized as one of the
activities of the Lightning Database Working Group of
the Committee of Lightning Protection Design [12].
The lightning location systems of Japanese electric
companies have been improved and most of them have
introduced the IMPACT version of lightning location
systems at present.
In this paper, based on the 17 years of lightning data
systems, characteristics of lightning occurrence
frequency and lightning current distribution have been
summarized and analyzed. The effects of climate on
lightning characteristics have been also investigated.
Furthermore lightning detection efficiency and the
version of lightning location systems are discussed.
2 LIGHTNING LOCATION SYSTEMS OF
JAPANESE ELECTRIC POWER
COMPANIES
Figure 1 shows the location of Direction Finders (DFs)
of lightning location systems of the nine Japanese electric
power companies as of 2006.
In order to make a lightning frequency map in Japan,
nine subdivisions were determined considering the
service area of each electric power company as shown in
Fig. 2. Lightning data in each subdivision were provided
by the lightning location system of each electric power
company located in the same subdivision and
summarized in meshes of 0.25 degree (latitude) by 0.25
degree (longitude). The actual size of each mesh is not
exactly same but it is about 23 km by 27 km.
Lightning data are summarized as flash data and the
data whose current is more than 10 kA are used in this
analysis according to the previous analysis [10-12]. As to
the data given as stroke data, they are converted to flash
data as following way; strokes which are considered to
occur within 1 sec from the first return stroke, located
within 0.009 deg in latitude and 0.011 deg in longitude
and the polarity is the same as that of the first return
stroke are assumed to be the strokes in a same flash. In
the case of a multi-stroke flash, the current of the first
return stroke is used in the analysis.

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 Table 1 Changes of lightning location systems of electric
power companies in Japan.

3 LIGHTNING DATA
Basically lightning data are summarized in two seasons
which are summer (from April to October) and winter
Figure 1. Locations of DFs of lightning location systems of
(from November to March).The year shown hereafter is
Japanese electric power companies as of 2006.
the fiscal year (from April to March of the next year)
unless otherwise stated.

3.1 Number of lightning occurrence

A

D
G C
F E
H
I

Fig. 2 The subdivisions used in the analysis. Fig. 3 Annual number of lightning flashes

The lightning location systems in Japan have been

upgraded as shown in Table 1. The numbers of DFs or
RRs are also shown in parentheses in the Table. In older
days, some electric power companies used the old version
of the LLS and some companies used the LPATS. At
present, however, most of the electric power companies
in Japan use the IMPACT version of the lightning
location system. Accompanying the upgrading, numbers
and locations of DFs are also somewhat changed. In spite
of these changes, data with no correction are used for the
analysis in this paper. Now, some electric power
companies are exchanging the DF data between the
Fig 4 Number of flashes in winter season
neighboring companies and in these cases, the agreement
of the data by different companies at the border of these
companies is fairly good.

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 In summer, we have lot of lightning flashes in the north
part of Kanto plain and central area of Japan. On the
other hand, we have lightning flashes in the coastal area
along the Sea of Japan in winter. Please note that the
lightning density in summer and that in winter is not
same even the color is same in Fig. 6. The regional
lightning occurrence characteristics stated above are
almost same as those from 1992 to 2001, which was
reported in [12].

a) Summer

a) Summer

b) Winter
b) Winter
Fig. 5 Ratios of the number of flashes in each subdivision.

Figure 3 shows the variation of annual number of

lightning flashes in the entire area shown in Fig. 2. The
variation of number of lightning flashes in winter is also
shown in Fig. 4.
Figure 5 shows annual variation of the ratio of number
of flashes in each subdivision. The number of lightning
flashes depends on the area and climate condition of each
subdivision. For example, lightning occurrence in region
A, which is the north part of Japan, is relatively small in
spite that its area is large.
From Fig.3 and Fig.4, it seems that number of
lightning occurrence is increasing. However we should
note that the detection efficiency of lightning location
systems may have been improved in recent systems. This
point will be discussed later.

3.2 Lightning density map of Japan

Figure 6 shows lightning flash density map in summer Fig. 6 Lightning flash density map in summer and in winter
and winter. This is the 7-year average from 2002 to 2008. (Average form 2002 to 2008).

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 3.3 Ratio of positive lightning flashes .Because of these differences, the data normalized by
the value at 2006 are used for comparison.
The ratio of positive lightning is shown in Fig. 7. In
As shown in Fig.8, relative good agreement between
this figure, the data of a year is analyzed from January to
them is confirmed.
December. Generally speaking, the observed ratio of
positive lightning is smaller in summer and larger in
winter in Japan, which is same tendency observed in 3.5 Climate factors that affect lightning
other countries [1-4, 9]. In Japan, however, the ratio of occurrence
positive lightning flashes in winter is about 40 %, which
is larger than the values reported in other countries. Most of lightning occurs in summer in Japan as shown
in Fig. 9 and the occurrence is concentrated in July and
August.

Fig.7 Ratio of positive lightning

Fig.9 Monthly variation of lightning occurrence in Japan.

3.4 Comparison with another lightning location
system In the previous study [12], relationship between
monthly variation of average temperature, sunshine
In Japan, another lightning location system called
duration, and lightning occurrence has been studied. In
JLDN (Japan Lightning Detection Network) has been
the present study, considering the generation mechanism
operated [13]. The lightning data obtained by the JLDN
of cumulonimbi, the variations of sunshine hours and
system are shown in the home page of the company that
lightning occurrence in summer are investigated. The
operates the system, but the region analyzed are different
sunshine hours of each subdivision are evaluated by the
from that in this paper and it seems that they show the
average of sunshine hours during July and August at the
number of strokes in the homepage [14].
prefectural capital cities in the region. The numbers of
LLS data by elecric power companies such cities are 4 to 9 depending on subdivisions.
Data by JLDN Fig. 10 shows some examples of the relationship
1.2 between the evaluated sunshine hours and the number of
Normalized number of lightning

lightning flashes in summer. There we can see interesting

1 characteristics. In the region I, for example, general
trends of increase and decrease of the number of flashes
0.8 and sunshine hours are similar, however, the ratio
between them is different before 2004 and after that. The
0.6 year 2004 is the year when the system was upgraded to
the IMPACT version in the area I. In other regions, there
0.4 is similar tendency that when the system was upgraded to
the IMPACT version, number of detected flashes
0.2
increased compared with those in older days for the same
sunshine hours.
0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
These results may suggest following facts.
Year 1) There is close relationship between the number of
lightning flashes in summer and sunshine hours.
Fig.8 Comparison between LLS data by electric power
companies and those by the JLDN 2) The detection efficiency of the IMPACT version is
larger than that of the older version.

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1) Region E

2) Region F

3) Region I

Fig.10 Relationship between number of flashes in summer and sunshine hours in July and August.

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 3.6 Lightning current characteristics
In general, currents are larger in winter. The variation
The 50% values and 2% values of cumulative of the 50% values of negative lightning current is small
distributions of lightning peak current from 2002 to 2008 throughout the year, but the 50% values of positive
are summarized in Table 1. The monthly variation of lightning current is larger in winter than those in summer.
50% values of positive and negative lightning current are Nevertheless, detailed study is necessary, because it is
shown in Fig. 11. reported that the detection efficiency of lightning in
winter season, especially for those with large currents,
depends on lightning location systems.
Table 1 50% Values and 2% values of the cumulative
current distributions from 2002 to 2008.
4 CONCLUSIONS
50% value (kA) 2% value (kA) 17 years of lightning data in Japan are summarized.
Year Summer Winter Summer Winter The main results are as follows.
2002 22.6 27.4 74.2 118.0 1) Lightning occurrence characteristics all over Japan
2003 23.5 29.6 83.2 147.7 are clarified.
2) The sunshine hours closely correlate the occurrence
2004 22.8 27.1 76.6 110.2 of lightning in summer.
2005 22.5 26.0 72.3 115.5 3) The lightning location system of the IMPACT
2006 23.5 24.6 80.3 93.4 version detects more lightning than older versions or
2007 23.2 29.2 77.1 142.1 LPATS do.
4) There are differences of lightning current
2008 23.9 27.2 80.9 116.1
characteristics in summer and winter.

Acknowledgement
This work has been conducted as one of the projects of
the Central Electric Power Council. The authors would
like to express their sincere thanks to the members who
have supported the project.

Fig.11 Monthly variation of the 50% values of lightning
current for positive and negative polarities.
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