The properties of thunderstorms with lightning flashes illuminating large areas

Lightning flashes illuminating large areas are identified from 13 years of Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) observations. Precipitation Features (PFs) containing lightning flashes with large optical footprints are defined by grouping the surrounding contiguous raining region as determined by the TRMM Precipitation Radar. The characteristics of these PFs with large-area lightning flashes, such as their convective intensity and size, are compared to PFs with only small-area lightning flashes. TRMM-observed storm properties at the center locations and endpoints of these flashes are discussed.