Lightning strikes over Venezuelan town half the year

A tiny and desperately poor fishing village has one fascinating draw for tourists - lightning storms light up the sky more than 160 nights each year.

Dubbed the Catatumbo Lightning, the weather phenomenon has no known cause. Scientists theorize that it could be caused by wind blowing off the Andes mountains or high levels of methane gas in the area.

A meteorologist with the Venezuelan National Air Force said the frequency of the storms isn't the only oddity. "The Catatumbo Lightning is over 90 percent cloud-to-cloud lightning," said meteorologist Ramon Velasquez. He said the storms can last all night.



"Elsewhere in the world, the duration of the storms is not more than one or two hours, however in Catatumbo, the storm begins at approximately 7 or 8 in the evening and goes on until 4 or 5 in the morning of the next day," said Velasquez.

There is a bit of tourism, but locals in the town of Congo Mirador said they hope the weather can help bring needed money. Nereida Noguera, head of Tourism for Congo Mirador, said the government hasn't done enough to entice tourists.

He said tourism money could help the residents escape dire poverty. "The lightning can be our treasure, that can lift us," said Noguera.