A bolt of lightning broke a world record in 2017, travelling 829km between Texas to Missouri. Climatologists confirmed the exceptional length, showing the power of the storm. Dry lightning in Canada sparked wildfire fears, so officials in Vancouver enforced fire bans and British Columbia gave alerts. In Milton, crews fought a blaze started by a lightning‑struck tree. Eastern Washington now experiences winds as high as 40mph with a warning still in place until Friday.