GENEVA -  A single lightning bolt captured by government weather satellites has been certified as the world's longest flash on record.

According to the World Meteorological Organization, in April 2020, the bolt stretched 477 miles across the southern United States.

That is equivalent to the distance between New York City and Columbus Ohio.

The previous record for the longest detected mega flash stretched 440 miles across parts of southern Brazil on October 31, 2018.

“Lightning is a major hazard that claims many lives every year. The findings highlight important public lightning safety concerns for electrified clouds where flashes can travel extremely large distances,” said WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas.

The only lightning-safe locations are substantial buildings that have wiring and plumbing; not structures such as at a beach or bus stop.

The second reliably safe location is inside a fully enclosed metal-topped vehicle, not dune buggies or motorcycles.

If lightning is within 10 km, go to the lightning-safe building or vehicle.

As these cases show, lightning can arrive within seconds over a long distance, but they are embedded within larger thunderstorms.