{"id":71616,"date":"2026-04-23T11:28:50","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T14:28:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/a3aengenharia.com\/en-us\/content\/technical-articles\/atmospheric-discharges-origin-physics-and-technical-impact\/"},"modified":"2026-04-24T18:10:48","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T21:10:48","slug":"atmospheric-discharges-origin-and-impact","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/a3aengenharia.com\/en-us\/content\/technical-articles\/atmospheric-discharges-origin-and-impact\/","title":{"rendered":"Atmospheric Discharges: Origin and Impact"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What atmospheric discharges are and how they are formed<\/strong> is mandatory conceptual groundwork for any professional working with electrical engineering, system protection, or critical infrastructure. Atmospheric discharges, popularly known as lightning, are natural phenomena caused by the electrical potential difference between clouds or between a cloud and the ground, resulting in an instantaneous discharge of extremely high intensity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When the electric field intensifies beyond the insulation limit of air, an abrupt discharge occurs: the accumulated energy is released in milliseconds, producing electric current of up to 200,000 amperes, temperatures above 25,000 C, and direct or indirect impact on everything within the zone of influence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Brazil, the country with the highest lightning incidence in the world, this phenomenon cannot be ignored in engineering projects. Technical sizing of protection begins with a clear understanding of <strong>the physical behavior and effects of atmospheric discharges<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>[elementor-template id=&#8221;24446&#8243;]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Formation of Atmospheric Discharges<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Atmospheric discharges are formed by the <strong>separation of electric charges inside clouds<\/strong>, especially <strong>cumulonimbus<\/strong> clouds, which reach great altitudes and have intense internal movement of air, moisture, and ice crystals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This continuous friction between particles creates a <strong>potential difference between the upper regions of the cloud (positively charged) and the lower regions (negatively charged)<\/strong>, or between the cloud and the ground. When this difference reaches high levels, on the order of <strong>millions of volts<\/strong>, the air, which normally acts as an insulator, <strong>becomes ionized<\/strong>, allowing electric current to pass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This current follows the path of least electrical resistance and may occur:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Between two regions of the same cloud<\/strong> (intra-cloud discharge);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Between different clouds<\/strong> (inter-cloud discharge);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Between the cloud and the ground<\/strong> (cloud-to-ground discharge), which is the most dangerous from a structural point of view.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During this process, what we call a <strong>stepped leader<\/strong> is formed, an ionized channel that advances from the sky toward the ground in stages until the connection with the ground is completed and the main discharge occurs, accompanied by intense light (lightning flash), sound (thunder), and immediate thermal and electromagnetic effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Impacts of discharges on systems and structures<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The effect of an atmospheric discharge goes far beyond visual impact. Whether through direct contact or electromagnetic induction, the discharge severely interferes with <strong>electrical, electronic, and telecommunications systems<\/strong>, compromising the physical integrity of equipment, people&#8217;s safety, and the operational continuity of facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The main technical impacts include:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&#x26a1; <strong>1. Destructive overvoltages<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Atmospheric discharge induces <strong>extremely high voltages in metallic conductors<\/strong> (cables, cable trays, busbars), capable of exceeding the insulation limit of panels, switchboards, and sensitive devices. This causes instant equipment burnout, component failure, and fire risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&#x1f525; <strong>2. Thermal effects and ignition<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sudden temperature rise, above 25,000 C, can <strong>carbonize insulators<\/strong>, melt metals, and <strong>start fires<\/strong>, especially in locations with flammable materials, such as fuel stations, industrial plants, and substations with insulating oil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&#x1f9f2; <strong>3. Induction in nearby systems<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even without direct contact, nearby discharges generate <strong>electromagnetic fields<\/strong> capable of inducing currents in power networks, data cables, antennas, and sensors, causing intermittent failures, signal loss, equipment freezing, and even permanent damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&#x26d4; <strong>4. Shutdown of critical operations<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In industrial, energy, or hospital environments, a system failure caused by a discharge may result in <strong>process interruption, data loss, or unavailability of essential services<\/strong>, with technical, financial, and institutional consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Final considerations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Atmospheric discharges are unavoidable, recurrent, and highly destructive<\/strong>. Their direct and indirect effects put at risk not only equipment, but also the structural integrity of facilities, the operational continuity of systems, and, above all, people&#8217;s safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a country with the highest lightning density in the world, such as Brazil, <strong>ignoring the phenomenon or treating it based on guesswork technically compromises any project.<\/strong> The correct approach begins with understanding the phenomenon and advances toward applying the technical standards that govern its mitigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>NBR 5419<\/strong> is the technical standard that regulates protection against atmospheric discharges. It defines <strong>when an LPS is mandatory<\/strong>, how to carry out <strong>risk assessment<\/strong>, and which measures must be adopted to ensure efficient and normatively sound protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Atmospheric discharges represent a real, predictable, and manageable risk. Engineering has standards, technical criteria, and solutions at its disposal to turn this phenomenon into a controlled variable. The foundation of any protection project begins with understanding the phenomenon and applying NBR 5419.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Understanding the origin, formation, and effects of atmospheric discharges is the first step toward applying effective solutions. Adequate protection is not optional; it is a fundamental part of engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Technical Summary<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Atmospheric discharges are phenomena of extremely high electrical energy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Brazil leads the world in lightning incidence.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Their effects directly impact electrical and electronic systems.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Projects must address this risk on a technical basis.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>NBR 5419 establishes the normative criteria for protection.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Stay with us<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is only the beginning of a complete technical deep dive into <strong>protection against atmospheric discharges<\/strong>. In the next content pieces, we will explore in depth the criteria defined by <strong>NBR 5419<\/strong>, explaining in a practical and direct way:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When an LPS is mandatory;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How risk assessment works;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What LPZ zones are and how to apply them;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to correctly perform equipotential bonding of metallic structures;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>And the role of SPDs in protection systems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you design, execute, or inspect electrical, industrial, or critical infrastructure installations, follow this series. We are turning <strong>technical standards into accessible, applicable, and reliable knowledge.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Follow <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QONK1oDLMoA\">A3A Engenharia de Sistemas<\/a>, register on our website, and get ready to deepen your technical command of LPS.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Understand what atmospheric discharges are, how lightning forms, its technical effects on systems and structures, and the role of NBR 5419 in protection projects.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30931,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"_a3a_post_lang":"en-us","_a3a_translation_group_id":"","_a3a_i18n_canonical_slug":"atmospheric-discharges-origin-and-impact"},"categories":[],"class_list":["post-71616","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/a3aengenharia.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles\/71616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/a3aengenharia.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/a3aengenharia.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/articles"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/a3aengenharia.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/a3aengenharia.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles\/71616\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":71692,"href":"https:\/\/a3aengenharia.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles\/71616\/revisions\/71692"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/a3aengenharia.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30931"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/a3aengenharia.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/a3aengenharia.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}