Marking the arrival of the summer solstice and, with it, the official beginning of the Northern Hemisphere's lightning storm season, this week's In The News focuses on lightning. At this month's international conference on lightning, researchers presented findings on global lightning patterns, suggesting that lightning is more common in storms over land (than sea), during the afternoons, and that it moves as the seasons progress. Some of the researchers' findings were based on data gathered by instruments above the cloud tops. Currently, further analyses are hinting at the possibility that lightning patterns are influenced by El Nino and La Nina weather patterns. If that is the case, global lightning patterns might be one way to "take the pulse" of the planet's weather trends. The nine resources listed highlight ongoing research and provide background resources related to lightning.