In total, there have been 2,244 atmospheric electrical discharges since midnight this Saturday
The forecasts were already pointing to rain and thunderstorms and last night that was exactly what happened. Around 850 electrical discharges were recorded in the Madeira archipelago by the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), 11 of which were positive lightning strikes (cloud-to-ground) that hit areas of the island.
Most of the lightning strikes that struck land occurred between 5 and 6 am this Saturday and were most prevalent on the west coast of Madeira Island, according to IPMA records on electrical discharges, as can be seen on this map.
In the geographical area of the Madeira archipelago, between 00:00 and 10:45 today, a total of 2,244 atmospheric electrical discharges were recorded: 143 positive discharges (considered the most dangerous), 428 negative discharges and 1673 intra-cloud discharges.
The period of greatest intensity of the thunderstorm occurred between 4:15 am and 7:30 am, when nearly 1,500 flashes of lightning/thunder were recorded (1,494).
Interestingly, 850 lightning strikes occurred in the space of just one and a half hours (roughly between 6:00 am and 7:30 am).