Believe it or not, the biggest thunder ever occurred in the world took place in Depok city, West Java – Indonesia. It exactly stroke the area three years ago when it hit electric cable installation connecting Balairung (main building) at University of University. Fortunately, it did not take any victim but minor destruction on the cable installation.

Some research conducted by team from ITB (Bandung Institute of Technology) found out that the thunder was the biggest and most dangerous ever. According to Dr. Ir. Dipl. Ing., Reynaldo Zoro the striking power was 379,2 kA of the negative stream and 441,1 kA of the positive one. With such a big power, the thunder is able to destroy buildings and other structures.

Some factors making the thunder in Depok powerful are the geographical location of the city, the wind stream contour and the aerial density. So, the thunder did not occur coincidentally. The factors influenced the thunder formation in such a way in which the regional and local wind stream accumulated in the cloud. The regional wind came from valleys and mountainous array of Bukit Barisan in the western part of Sumatera Island. West Java, where Depok city is located, is geographically just straightly in the same line as Bukit Barisan.

The wind movement forming the thunder derives from cumulonimbus cloud and thunder clap which meet at a point in a high density. It then triggers a discharge of electricity component from cumulonimbus cloud to another cloud or to the earth. The thunder produces not only big strike but also flashy and bright lightning of intra-cloud lightning, cloud-to-ground lightning and triggered lightning.

According to statistic data, there are 200 days thunder striking Indonesia in a year whereas there only 140 days in Brazil, 100 days in the US and 60 days in South Africa. During 2001, there were 340 positive thunder claps, 8,520 negative thunder claps and 1,151 thunder claps inside cloud in which from all of those thunders, the highest power produced was 290,2 kA. Based on such a reality, Depok city can be classified in a risky area.

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