Fermi question · Science
About how many lightning flashes occur around the world each day?
Make a fast, defensible estimate before you reveal the reference answer. Think in factors, not exact recall.
What is your estimate?
Your result will appear here after you submit a guess.
Reference answer
Reveal the reference answer
≈ 4.3 million flashes per day
Fermi estimates are judged by scale, so a reasonable approximation can still earn a strong score.
One way to estimate it
Convert a global flash rate of roughly fifty per second into a daily total.
- Seconds per day≈ 86,400
- Lightning rate≈ 50 flashes/second
- Estimate50 × 86,400 ≈ 4.3M flashes/day
Keep practicing
Try another question, or return to the daily challenge to build your personal sense of scale.