The World Meteorological Organization certified a 2017 Texas-to-Missouri lightning strike as the new world record for longest distance, measuring 829 kilometers or 515 miles. This "megaflash," which lasted 7.39 seconds, was detected by NOAA's GOES-16 satellite within a Mesoscale Convective System. For more details, visit WMO . WMO certifies megaflash lightning record in USA