The lightning capital of the world with 300 strikes a day

There's nothing more spectacular than a storm rolling in, with the skies being lit with different colours from lightning.

But what about if that occurrence happened 300 times a day? In one Venezuelan area called Lake Maracaibo, by the Catatumbo River, that is the norm.

It's not unusual for residents to witness 200 flashes a minute, enough to light up the streets despite it being nightfall.

"You can read a newspaper in the middle of the night because it’s so bright," Jonas Pointek, a photographer who has documented the storms, told The New York Times.

In fact, the area has now been declared the lightning capital of the world by NASA, firmly pushing Africa's Congo Basin off the top spot.

And the result? The rise in lightning tourism in the area, with the Catatumbo Camp specialising in breaks for storm chasers.

Alan Highton, from the camp, said: "The unique thing about Catatumbo is you just sit there at our camp, drink a cold beer and the storms will come to you."

The cool breezes from the surrounding Andes Mountains clash with the warm wind from the Caribbean Sea making it optimal conditions for a thunderstorm.

The best time of year is in November, but there's storms every evening so you'll always be front row for a lightning show.