Characteristics of Diurnal and Nocturnal Lightning Activities in Sarawak, Malaysia

Abstract

Malaysia has a very high lightning activities rate that had been recorded every year. Yet, there are still too many lightning features that have not been explored in Malaysia especially in the eastern part of the country. This study presented diurnal and nocturnal lightning characteristics recorded in Sibu, Sarawak. The lightning electric field signal was detected using parallel plate antenna. The waveform was analyzed using PicoScope Software. Four important parameters of negative first and subsequent return stroke were measured namely normal electric field peak voltage, zero crossing time, zero to peak rise time and 10 to 90% rise time. Ten samples of diurnal first return stroke and 10 subsequent return strokes were presented in this study. Same amount of samples were measured for nocturnal lightning. Averagely, normal electric field peak voltage and zero crossing time for diurnal lightning were higher for both first and subsequent return strokes compared to nocturnal lightning. Contrarily, zero to peak rise time and 10 to 90% rise time of diurnal lightning were shorter for both first and subsequent return strokes compared to nocturnal type of lightning. The findings in this research conspicuously enhanced the knowledge about the variations of lightning characteristics in Malaysia.