Lightning and thunderstorms: Detection, mechanism and prediction

Thunderstorms are severe convective weather systems generating lightning, which can lead to various catastrophic weather when a large amount of lightning is generated. In the past decade, high spatiotemporal resolution lightning detection technology has been developed quickly, laying an important foundation for the study of propagation and mechanisms of lightning as well as its physical effects. Combined with Doppler dual polarization weather radar and high-resolution numerical models, thunderstorm dynamics, microphysics, electricity processes and their interrelationships have been well investigated, and some new insights into the thunderstorm charge distribution and its relation to the thunderstorm structure have been obtained. All these have promoted the establishment of lightning forecasting and data assimilation for improving thunderstorm forecasting. This paper reviews recent research progresses in the high-accuracy detection, mechanism and forecasting of thunderstorms and lightning in China in the last decade from 4 aspects, including high-resolution 3D lightning positioning technology and application, lightning features in different types of thunderstorm systems and their relationship with cloud structure, dynamics, and microphysics, observations and simulations of thunderstorm charge structure, lightning forecasting and lightning data assimilation for thunderstorm forecasting. Some of the key frontiers and challenges remaining in lightning and thunderstorms studies are also highlighted.