Desert Lighting Storms

Desert Lighting Storms are the most feared weather phenomena in the nation, Kai Resh. They are known to set villages ablaze, create craters the size of airships, and wipe entire cities off the map.

What is a Desert Lighting Storm?

In short, it is a high concentration of lighting in a given area. They are often spontaneous and highly destructive. They are unique because they don’t generally form anywhere other than the sandstone flats of western Kai Resh, a blistering desert country home to more than just these deadly storms. Rare as they are, these storms occur in the warmer seasons of the year and can last from a few hours to multiple days. Their causation is mostly unknown, but Meteorologists agree on some factors.

Firstly, the lighting inside the storm can produce more lightning after it. This results in long storms that can last for days. When the electrical field caused by the energy separation finally disperses, the strikes stop compounding. The storms usually end after that. Secondly, they are spontaneous and happen with little to no warning. However, academics are studying to find signals for their formations. And lastly, researchers believe them to be caused by a combination of the immense heat of the desert and thick concentrations of Attoran magic.

How to classify the storms?

The storms are generally classified into three categories:

• One: 10-15 strikes per minute in an isolated area.
• Two: 20-30 strikes per minute in an isolated area.
• Three: 35-40 strikes per minute in an isolated area.

The Kai Resh Weather Service calls typically for an evacuation when the storm reaches category two. In some cases, an evacuation is called when the isolated areas for a Category One are very close to a city or town. The Weather Service calculates the categories using Attoran technology, which is built to detect fluctuations in the Attora’s energy field in a given area.

What are its effects?

The effects of one of these lighting storms can be devastating for wildlife and civilization alike. Known to ravage towns in just a single night, the lightning storms can cause massive fires that can destroy buildings in a matter of hours. The sandstone flats are a savannah west of the Kryithian desert, and are known to have some trees and brush. However, many of those beautiful trees are burned in the wake of the lightning storms.

Because of this destruction, small organizations have been formed to help communities recover from the shock and devastation caused by these storms. They are non-profit, and you can donate to them by sending money through your bank to the Kai Resh Weather Service, or by handing in cash at the Weather Service Donations Desk in the headquarters.

How do I stay safe?

If an evacuation is called, pack a large backpack of essentials and travel alongside your local rangers to the nearest safe facility in the mountains. There, you are given food and shelter until the storm subsides, and it is safe to go home.