Cause of the Lightning
Lake Maracaibo is the largest lake in South America, with a surface area of 13,210 square kilometers. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides. The waters are very warm throughout the year, normally between 28 and 31 degrees Celsius (82 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit). This makes the lake a ready source of heat and humidity to drive convection.
Through the day, the lake and the surrounding hills are heated by the sun. The hills warm faster than the lake, and divergent winds move across the surface of the lake towards the land. Then at night, the land cools faster than the lake, and winds reverse to converge across the surface of the lake. This pattern causes nocturnal convection above the lake and produces recurrent thunder and lightning above the lake.