What is hotter: Lightning or fireworks?
According to NOAA, the U.S. is impacted by more than 20 million lightning strikes each year, and around 20 people are reported to be killed by bolts annually. Vaisala, a global technology company, detected some 242,101,157 lightning bolts in the skies over the U.S. in 2024.
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As Americans celebrate Independence Day week, some might wonder just how hot dazzling displays of fireworks get, and how they compare to one of Mother Nature’s most powerful forces - lightning.
Both fireworks and lightning generate intense heat, but when it comes to temperature, there’s simply no contest.
Lightning is one of the hottest natural phenomena on Earth, with only a few extreme reactions, such as thermonuclear explosions, producing higher temperatures.
According to NOAA, the air surrounding a lightning bolt can reach a staggering 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
The temperature of lightning is roughly five times hotter than the surface of the Sun, which has been estimated by satellites to be only around 10,000 degrees, while its core burns at more than 27 million degrees Fahrenheit.
The incredible amounts of heat are produced by the rapid movement of electrical charges through the air, with a bolt taking just milliseconds to reach the ground.
Lightning temperature animation
(NOAA)
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By comparison, fireworks such as Roman candles, bottle rockets and sparklers burn to temperatures of around 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
While significantly cooler than lightning, the heat is still significant enough to melt some metals and cause severe injuries within seconds.
Medical experts say that first-degree burns can begin with exposure to temperatures as low as around 109 degrees Fahrenheit, with more severe burns as temperatures and exposure increases.
In 2024, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported 11 fireworks-related deaths and approximately 14,700 injuries treated in emergency rooms nationwide.
Sparklers alone accounted for around 1,700 of those injuries, often involving wounds to the hands, face and ears.
Adults aged 25 to 44 annually represent the largest share of victims, followed by teens and young adults aged 15 to 24.
While some burns can be treated at home with over-the-counter remedies, medical professionals advise seeking urgent care for anything beyond minor injuries.
A picture taken on July 14, 2016 shows a flash of lightning as fireworks explode over the French riviera city of Nice, southeastern France, as part of France's annual Bastille Day Celebrations.
(Photo by VALERY HACHE / AFP) (Photo by VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
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Lightning is far more common than many may realize.
In 2024, Vaisala, a global technology company, detected more than 242 million lightning events over the U.S., with over 20 million reaching the ground.
On average, about 20 people are killed by lightning each year in the United States, according to NOAA, with hundreds more suffering injuries ranging from burns to neurological damage.
Fortunately, the number of lightning fatalities across the country has been on the decline as enhanced technologies and mobile alerts likely play a role in people being more prepared ahead of summer thunderstorms.
So, while fireworks may be the center of attention during holidays such as the Fourth of July, the heat generated by lightning remains unparalleled.
Lightning density map 2023
(Vaisala / FOX Weather)