The confluence of the Katatumbo River into Lake Maracaibo is famous for anomalous atmospheric phenomena: lightning and glow that appear at an altitude of 5 km. Most often, they do not emit any sound effects, and only occasionally can distant thunderclaps be heard.
Lightning occurs exclusively at night (about 150 times a year) and can illuminate the area with flashes for up to 10 hours. According to rough estimates, more than a million discharges occur here per year.
Lightning is visible from a distance of up to 400 km. At one time, they were even used for shipping navigation, which is why the phenomenon is also known as the "Maracaibo Lighthouse". The sailors believed that it would be very unwise not to use such a noticeable landmark sent by the heavens themselves.
According to some chronicles, it was the "Maracaibo lighthouse" that caused the failure of the famous pirate Francis Drake in the attack on the city of Maracaibo itself in 1595: in the light of lightning, Spanish soldiers saw enemy ships and managed to prepare a worthy rebuff.
Scientists suggest that the sky storm is fueled by methane fumes, which are rich in wetlands. This theory is confirmed by the fact that during a drought, lightning dies down for several months.
This "eternal" thunderstorm is one of the largest ozone generators on the planet. Ecologists and nature conservationists constantly insist on the inclusion of a unique area in the list of monuments protected by UNESCO, despite the fact that such precedents have not yet happened.
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The popularity of Catatumbo lightning is beyond question. Several types of firearms produced by Venezuela are named after them. Moreover, lightning is depicted on the state symbols of the state where the lake is located - on the flag and coat of arms, and the phenomenon is also mentioned in the anthem of Venezuela.