Spatial and temporal distribution of lightning occurrence and its trend

 Investigating the spatial and temporal distribution of lightning occurrence and the trend of lightning occurrence in Iran.

 Monthly spatial and temporal distribution of lightning occurrence investigated based on HRMC data in the range of 25° E - 65° E and 15° N - 42° N. The trend of lightning occurrence was studied based on LRMTS data in about twenty years (1995-2014) using a standardized regression slope.

 Iran is divided into eight regions based on the characteristics of lightning activity. The minimum of lightning and convective activities occur in the country's center and east. The maximum occurs in the northwest from June to August, in the west, southwest, and south from November to May, and in the south in September. The activity of the Red Sea convergence zone influences the maximum occurrence from December to May in the southwest and west of Iran. The most significant increase in the occurrence of lightning occurred in the southeast of Iran in the summer, the Caspian Sea in the winter, the area between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean in the fall, and finally, in the south of the Persian Gulf in the spring. The most significant decrease has been observed in the center of the Red Sea, the Black Sea, and the Mediterranean, respectively, in the summer season.

 Considering the effect of convective activities on Iran's rainfall regime, we can expect an effective change in the characteristics of Iran's rainfall regime due to global warming.