About Lake Maracaibo: Lake Maracaibo holds the world record for the highest concentration of lightning. Storms flash over the same spot for hundreds of nights every year. For centuries, ships have steered by the glow of the Catatumbo lightning. The lightning flashes so often it can light up the night like day

Location: Northwestern Venezuela, where the Catatumbo River meets the lake · Country: Venezuela · Record: The most lightning on Earth storms on about 297 nights a year · Big Number: Up to 1,600 lightning flashes in a single hour · Why So Stormy: Warm lake air rises and crashes into cool mountain air almost every night · Also Called: Its storms are known as the 'Catatumbo lightning' · Notable Feature: Sailors once used the lightning as a natural lighthouse · World Rank: The lightning capital of the world (a Guinness record)