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Thunderstorm Myths


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Posted
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos
  • Weather Preferences: Thunderstorms :D
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos

Hi all,:)

I thought I'd post up a discussion about the myths surrounding thunderstorms. Of course, It's always wise for one to follow safety procedures as to believe in thunderstorm myths is most certainly a peril in itself!

Here, I have collected some thunderstorm myths from many sources and if anybody knows anymore myths that haven't been mentioned as yet. Please feel free to add.

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Myth: Lightning only occurs when it is raining.

Truth : Lightning can strike three to 10 miles outside of a thunderstorm cloud, and lightning within clouds has been known to travel as far as 100 miles.

Myth: Heat lightning poses no threat.

Truth : Heat lightning is merely lightning originating from a thunderstorm too far away to be heard. It is best to play it safe and seek shelter, as the storm may be heading in your direction.

Myth: Lightning never strikes the same place twice.

Truth : If a particular place is prone to lightning strikes, it most certainly may be struck more than once. For example, the Empire State Building is hit by lightning an average of 25 times a year.

Myth: Rubber car tires or even the rubber soles on the bottom of shoes will insulate you from lightning.

Truth :A few inches of rubber are no match for the awesome power of a bolt of lightning. In fact, it has been calculated that you would need solid rubber tires about a mile thick to be properly insulated against lightning.

It should be noted that most cars are safe from lightning, but not because of the tires. As counterintuitive as this may seems, it is because most cars surround you with metal.

This is not because of the metal car acting as a Faraday's cage, which stores static electricity. Rather, the magnetic field that accompanies a bolt of lightning pushes the electric current to the outer part of the conducting skin.

Open-cockpit equipment, convertibles, motorcycles, and cars made out of plastic or fiberglass do not offer this safe zone.

So, it is safer to be in an enclosed metal cockpit than to be outside during a thunderstorm, provided you are not touching any part of the metal.

Myth: If I am inside a house, I am completely safe from lightning.

Truth : This claim is only true if you avoid any conducting paths that lead outside, such as corded telephones, TV cables, appliances, plumbing (including PVC pipes filled with water), and metal doors and window frames.

Myth: If caught outside during a thunderstorm, lie flat on the ground.

Truth : Lightning produces electric currents on top of the ground that can be lethal 100 feet away. Lying on the ground increases the possibility of being hit by the ground current. It is better to crouch down on the balls of your feet, tuck your head, and cover your ears.

Myth: Tall pointy objects provide a 45-degree "cone of protection."

Truth : While tall objects are more likely to be struck, lightning can still occur nearby. In addition, there is the risk of the charge spreading along the ground, side flash, or contact voltage. No place outside is safe during a thunderstorm.

Myth: If you touch an individual who has been struck by lightning, you will get electrocuted.

Truth : The human body does not store electricity of any magnitude. CPR and/or first aid should be started immediately. Seek medical attention.

Tornadoes and hurricanes are more dangerous than lightning

Myth: Lightning kills more people (about 58) each year than tornadoes or hurricanes. In fact, it is the most underrated weather hazard, according to the National Weather Service. Only floods are routinely responsible for more deaths than lightning.

MYTH: A Surge Protector will protect against a

lightning strike.

A common surge protector will only stop

voltage spikes and surges, but not the huge, violent burst

of current from a close lightning strike. Lightning current is

simply too big to protect with a little electronic device inside

a power strip. The only way to protect your stereo, television,

computer, or any electronic appliance is to unplug all power,

telephone (modem), and antenna connections during a

thunderstorm.

Over the centuries, superstitions and myths have grown up about lightning that include avoidance, protection, the types of injuries, and their treatment.

Nowadays most lightning injuries occur on the golf course. "

A large number are work-related. These include injuries to postal and construction workers and persons using telephones that have not been properly grounded. The numbers of farmers injured has decreased farmers to work larger fields in better-protected vehicles. Injuries during recreation have increased. They occur to joggers, hikers, and campers, as well as golfers. In addition, a significant number of people are injured while participating in team sports.

A myth that is still prevalent today is that the victim of lightning retains the charge and is dangerous to touch, since he is still "electrified " This idea has led to unnecessary deaths because of delaying resuscitation efforts

Lightning only occurs with thunderstorms."

Most people know to seek shelter once the storm clouds roll overhead. Few realize that one of the most dangerous times for a fatal strike is before the storm. Lightning may travel as far as 10 km nearly horizontally from the thunderhead and seem to occur "out of the clear blue sky" or at least when the day is still mostly sunny. The faster the storm is traveling and the more violent it is, the more likely this is to occur. Another time underestimated for its potential danger is the end of a thunderstorm.

In ancient mythology the Romans believed that Jove, the king of the gods, used lightning to punish wrongdoers and change the outcome of wars. His favorite bird was the eagle, and the eagle was said to carry his thunderbolts of wrath. A similar notion was common in other cultures. Native American cultures spoke of a '"thunderbird" responsible for thunder and lightning. It was said that, as the thunderbird winked its eyes, flashes of lightning would burst from them. When lightning peeled bark off of a tree, it was taken as a sign of the bird's razor sharp claws. In south Africa, people believed that the "Umpundulo" -- also a thunderbird -- also peeled bark from trees. The bird's bright feathers were said to produce lightning -- while the flapping of its enormous wings created the thunder. Today we understand lightning but there are still many myths and folklore which has carried over from yesteryears. Too be continued.........:winky:

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Posted
  • Location: Runcorn, Cheshire
  • Weather Preferences: Snowy winters, hot, sunny springs and summers.
  • Location: Runcorn, Cheshire

What a great post!

Half of the stuff I thought was true is a myth. :rofl:

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Posted
  • Location: South East UK
  • Weather Preferences: Thunderstorms/squalls/hoar-frost/mist
  • Location: South East UK

A friend of mine was telling me about a storm in lincinshire, and he said i watched it coming up and following the river , :rolleyes:

that seems to be another popular myth about thunderstorms and rivers...

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Posted
  • Location: LANCS. 12 miles NE of Preston at the SW corner of the Bowland Fells. 550ft, 170m approx.
  • Location: LANCS. 12 miles NE of Preston at the SW corner of the Bowland Fells. 550ft, 170m approx.

Interesting thread.

Lightning will strike mirrors on walls? Or so believed some folks I knew. During storms, mirrors turned to face the wall or covered over with cloth.

I've always wondered, do overhead electric supply cables protect nearby property from lightning?

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Posted
  • Location: Hanley, Stoke-on-trent
  • Location: Hanley, Stoke-on-trent

Interesting thread.

Lightning will strike mirrors on walls? Or so believed some folks I knew. During storms, mirrors turned to face the wall or covered over with cloth.

I've always wondered, do overhead electric supply cables protect nearby property from lightning?

Probably untrue, but all mirrors were covered when I was a young un as well as metal cutlery put away. Also a window had to be open & the back door to give a clear passage so that the thunder could pass through!

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Posted
  • Location: Watford, Hertfordshire, 68.7m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: Humid Continental Climate (Dfa / Dfb)
  • Location: Watford, Hertfordshire, 68.7m ASL

Lightning can occur without rain though if its hot and the air is dry the rain can evaporate before it hits the ground, people may think its just a very dark cloud passing over head but could infact produce a charge of lightning even if it hasn't produced one beforehand.

Another myth that I heard was that lightning is louder in colder climates then hot humid climates because the humidity 'deadens' the sound. its true that its louder in colder climates not because of that reason but really infact hot humid air allows the thunder to move faster, further and easier spreading the sound out more, where as cold air is more dense making the sound of thunder backbuild on itself basically like an amplifier keeping the sound of the thunder in a smaller area.

EDIT: ^^^ that is not the rule but rather it happens generally, as I know that people who went on the storm chase would tell you that some of the loudest thunder they heard occured in very hot and humid conditions but it was loud because of the amps in the lightning itself and not because of the enviroment.

Edited by Mesoscale
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Posted
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos
  • Weather Preferences: Thunderstorms :D
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos

Interesting thread.

Lightning will strike mirrors on walls? Or so believed some folks I knew. During storms, mirrors turned to face the wall or covered over with cloth.

I've always wondered, do overhead electric supply cables protect nearby property from lightning?

Hi Rainy,:)

I hope this answers your question :

Wiring and appliances are protected from lightning-surge damage—the powerful currents that can run into the house through overhead power lines or antenna cables when lightning strikes in the area. Such currents are diverted to the ground by lightning arresters or surge protectors, installed at the main fuse or circuit-breaker panel and on the television antenna lead-in. Installing an arrester on the power lines is a job for an expert.

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Posted
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos
  • Weather Preferences: Thunderstorms :D
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos

As late as the early 1800s in Russia, when rain was wanted, three men climbed a tree. One would knock two firebrands together; the sparks imitating lightning. Another one would pour water over twigs, imitating rain. A third would bang on a kettle to attract the thunder. ( I think us storm starved should try that lol ) And throughout early Europe, church bell ringers would make as much noise as possible, hoping to scare away the storms from these holy dwellings which were struck frequently by lightning.

Nigeria :The Yorubas are said to have believed that lightning was a storm spirit who carried powerful magic. That spirit scolded them with fiery bolts of light shot from his mouth. He was believed to punish people for their wrongdoings by destroying things on the ground or by hitting someone with his bolts of light.

In medieval times, many people believed that thunderstorms were evil spirits. Church bells were rung so the sound would chase away the evil thunder. Often people used a variety of rituals to save themselves during thunderstorms. They would hide scissors, cover every mirror, lie down on feather beds, and stay away from wet dogs and horses.

In ancient times, the Etruscan soothsayers from Northern Italy were considered divine weather watchers. They were said to have foretold disaster or good fortune from slight changes of the wind direction, claps of thunder, or bolts of lightning.

Scandinavian folk belief that lightning frightens away trolls and jötnar appears in numerous Scandinavian folktales, and may be a late reflection of the god Thor's role in fighting such beings.

Bulgaria : Saint Elijah's Day July 20th.

This is one of the holidays for protecting against thunder and hail. In the folk belief Saint Elija rules over the lightning and thunders. He roams about the sky by a golden chariot with the aim to kill the Lamia that grazes the cornfields. Saint Elija hurls fire arrows at her - thunders and lightning. If there is only lightning, then people say that this is a fire that comes out from the nostrils of the horses that are harnessed in the chariot.

In Bulgarian folklore, the face of Prophet Iliya is a hybrid of Christian and pagan mythology. He is believed to be the master of summer storms, hail, rain, thunder and dew. Icons usually picture him riding in a gold-plated chariot, with four white horses in harness.

The hottest summer days in Bulgaria usually come in the middle of the month of July. Traditional folk calendar marks these days, called Gorestnitsi or Hot Days, on July 15, 16 and 17 and on July 20 - the holiday of Saint Elija – Saint Elija’s Day.

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Posted
  • Location: Garvestone, Norfolk
  • Weather Preferences: Sunshine. And storms
  • Location: Garvestone, Norfolk

"Most people know to seek shelter once the storm clouds roll overhead. Few realize that one of the most dangerous times for a fatal strike is before the storm. Lightning may travel as far as 10 km nearly horizontally from the thunderhead and seem to occur "out of the clear blue sky" or at least when the day is still mostly sunny. The faster the storm is traveling and the more violent it is, the more likely this is to occur. Another time underestimated for its potential danger is the end of a thunderstorm."

The origin of the saying "a bolt from the blue"? :)

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  • 2 months later...
Posted
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)

While looking through the web for some stuff, I came across this which seems to fit this thread:

Lightning Injury Facts

Myths, Miracles, and Mirages

Injuries from man-made, generated, or "technical" electricity have been reported for only about 150 years; but injuries from lightning must surely pre-date written records. Depictions of lightning affecting people or events appear in writings and drawings from almost every ancient religion. Although such an occurrence was sometimes interpreted as a positive sign of blessing, more often it was seen as a sign of the god's warning or vengeance.

Priests, the earliest astronomers and meteorologists, became proficient at weather prediction, interpreting changes in weather as omens of good or bad fortune, sometimes to the advantage of their political mentors. Observations of lightning and other natural phenomena were often used to decide matters of state, the scheduling of battles or other events. Lightning from the east was usually seen as a good omen. This is reasonable because it is probably the end of a storm. Lightning from the west was ominous, but also meant a storm was probably approaching.

Over the centuries, superstitions and myths have grown up about lightning that include avoidance, protection, the types of injuries, and their treatment. In this article, I cannot be all inclusive but will attempt to discuss some of the more common ideas, particularly those related to the medical field, as well as some myths about injuries from the newer form of injury by generated electricity. I will leave discussion of appropriate lightning and electrical protection to those who are more knowledgeable in these areas and have been kind enough to write articles for these issues of Seminars.

OCCURRENCE AND DEMOGRAPHICS

"I will probably never treat a victim of a lightning injury in my practice because they are so rare. "

False. It is true that injuries from electrical injuries are probably more common than lightning injuries, especially when low-voltage injuries are included. Best estimates place lightning injuries at somewhere between several hundred and a few thousand per yearn 4 It is common for the victims to avoid medical care initially, hoping that the symptoms will subside in a few hours or days. Most are not admitted to the hospital and thus do not become part of any state hospital admission databank. Lopez and Holle have done some of the best studies on the epidemiology of lightning injuries and I refer you to their articles in these issues and elsewhere. It would be unusual to meet a neurologist who has not had at least one patient with complaints referable to an electrical event. Much research remains to be done into the best treatment, the differences between these groups, and long-term effects.

"I will probably never treat a victim of a lightning injury in my practice because no one lives to talk about it."

False. In 1980, I published a study of collected literature and found only a 30% mortality. Andrews repeated the study a few years later and calculated it slightly differently at 20%. Both reviews would overestimate the mortality, as case reports will always be biased toward the more severe or interesting cases. Although Holle and Lopez report figures somewhat differently, my best guess on the mortality from lightning would be about 3 to 10% of all incidents. Projecting from numbers of between 75 and 150 reported deaths per year (and many do not get coded appropriately), there may be as many as 750 to 5000 injuries per year.

"Nowadays most lightning injuries occur on the golf course. "

False. Indeed, a large number are work-related. These include injuries to postal and construction workers and persons using telephones that have not been properly grounded. (5) The numbers of farmers injured has decreased farmers to work larger fields in better-protected vehicles. Injuries during recreation have increased. They occur to joggers, hikers, and campers, as well as golfers. In addition, a significant number of people are injured while participating in team sports.

"Some people can attract lightning."

Some have called themselves "human lightning rods," claiming that thunderstorms would change course to find them or that they had been struck multiple times. Given my experience with lightning victims, I must say that, although some may suffer little injury from a single strike, the majority have some type of sequela. When one claims to have been hit 20 or more times, the odds of being able to talk about it decrease logarithmically. Would any reasonable person not have enough sense to learn to avoid lightning after the first couple of hits?

EFFECTS OF LIGHTNING STRIKE/ELECTRIC SHOCK

These effects are what these two issues of Seminars in Neurology are all about: we have tried to address most of the questions that arise about electrical and lightning injuries, and the differences between lightning and electrical injuries and their treatment have been discussed in other articles.

Because so little has been studied in these injuries, it is often difficult to sort out the complaints that are real from those that are metaphysical, compensation-related, or due to normal aging. As discussed in the article by Engelstatter and Primeau, a marginally compensated individual may see the injury as the precipitant for all subsequent problems in life. Although the physical and cognitive complaints are sometimes vague and often do not show on standardized testing, nevertheless, they present a consistent complex that is difficult to disbelieve after listening to them for 15 years from people who have nothing to gain from their disability. Even the complaints that we can objectify often have no good treatment, frustrating both the patient and the physician.

Among the claims of positive effects of lightning strike (and sometimes electrical injury) are the cures for persons who have been blind, deaf, or had serious illnesses. A few years ago there was a very well-publicized case of an elderly gentleman who was cured of his blindness and deafness by a lightning strike. Those of us who were consulted on this knew that these were hysterical complaints suffered as a result of a truck accident many years before but forbade the press to quote us out of respect for the gentleman.

I have had one call from another gentleman who asked if lightning could cause "hyper sexuality" because after his lightning injury he could not seem to get enough sex. While there is a neurological injury that can cause hyper sexuality, more commonly lightning and electrical injury causes impotence, as a result of either direct nerve or spinal cord injury or depression. There is one published claim of improved intelligence on psychological testing after a prolonged cardiac arrest in a pediatric patient. A woman in southern Illinois became psychic after suffering a lightning strike while asleep in bed. Reportedly, her powers have been used by police agencies in locating missing persons and solving cases.

If remissions or cures of serious illness have occurred, as some have claimed, praise God, and I am happy for them and will not dispute their conclusions, but I cannot explain it by any medical literature, only supposition.The medical literature and medical practice are resplendent with examples of myths that grow out of misread, misquoted, or misinterpreted information and that then continue to be propagated without further investigation, particularly when the author is an individual well-respected for other accomplishments. Not the least of these is the tenet that lightning victims who have resuscitation prolonged for several hours may still successfully recover. This belief seems to be grounded in the old idea of "suspended animation" the concept that lightning is capable of shutting off systemic and cerebral metabolism, allowing rescuers a longer period in which to resuscitate the patient. This concept, credited to the only article that Taussig ever wrote on lightning, actually first appeared in an article that was published quite some time before hers. The case recounted by Taussig that is the basis for this myth, when searched to its source, was a case reported by Morikawa and Steichen, F. While it does show a somewhat longer resuscitation period than usual, it is not as miraculous as reported in her paper or as propagated in subsequent references to it.

On the other hand, in a study of lightning survivors, Andrews has shown increasing prolongation of the QT interval, bringing up the theoretical possibility of toursades as a mechanism for the suspended animation reports.' Theoretically, if lightning hit at the right instant of the QRS interval, a toursades type of rhythm might occur, not only supplying minimal cerebral perfusion, but also perhaps resolving spontaneously. Toursade certainly has a better prognosis than fibrillation or asystole.

There is new evidence from animal experiments to support the teaching that respiratory arrest may persist longer than cardiac arrest. This study, in which Australian sheep were hit with simulated lightning strokes, showed histologic evidence of greater damage to the respiratory centers than the cardiac center in the medulla. Prolonged assisted ventilation may then, in some cases, be successful after cardiac activity has returned. Among the myths about negative effects is the "crispy critter" myth. This is the belief that the victim struck by lightning bursts into flames or is reduced to a pile of ashes. In reality, lightning often flashes over the outside of a victim, sometimes blowing off the clothes but leaving few external signs of injury and few, if any, burns.

Two other myths held by the lay public as well as many physicians that are particularly harmful to the lightning survivors are, "If you're not killed fly lightning you A be OK" and, "If there are no outward signs of lightning injury, the injury can't be serious. The medical literature, by lack of follow-up case reports, implies that there are also few permanent sequelae of lightning injury. However, in the last few years, it has become apparent that permanent sequelae may and often do occur. In addition, both lightning and electrical victims with significant sequelae may have no evidence of burns. While the effects of amperage and voltage have been studied in animals, the effect of frequency, radio waves, and body impedance, as well as other effects, have not been elucidated well enough for us to be able to explain many injuries.

A myth that is still prevalent today is that the victim of lightning retains the charge and is dangerous to touch, since he is still "electrified " This idea has led to unnecessary deaths because of delaying resuscitation efforts. Many patients, particularly those without external signs of injury, have been told, most often by medical professionals, that they have "internal burns" that are the cause of their problems. This is both a misnomer and an oversimplification for the cellular, vascular, biochemical, or other types of damage they may have incurred. So many questions need to be investigated in lightning and electrical injuries.

SIGNIFICANCE

"Lightning is a sign from God. "

I can claim no inside track on this one. Ancient Romans saw Jove's thunderbolts as a sign of condemnation and denied burial rites to those killed by lightning. Andeans hold similar beliefs and may ostracize the victim. In some cultures, medicines are made from stones that are believed to be a result of lightning strike. Roman, Hindu, and Mayan cultures all have myths that mushrooms arise from spots where lightning has hit the ground. In the poly-ethnic United States, belief in "fate" or "God's will" may affect how family, friends, or coworkers relate to the victim or how the victim feels about himself and his recovery. Some patients may have already consulted a healer before finally seeking the advice of a physician and in rare instances it may be difficult to treat a patient unless the help of a shaman or priest is employed to address the religious issues while the physician addresses the physical ones.

PREVENTION /AVOIDANCE

Several Roman emperors wore laurel wreathes and sealskin, which were believed to be protective. Pliny taught that a sleeping person was safe from lightning. Some of the references at the end of this article detail even more curiosities and myths.

"Wearing a rubber raincoat (substitute sneakers or other forms of clothing here) will decrease my chances of being hit."

Conversely: "Wearing cleated shoes increases my chances of being struck."

False, and probably false. The first is easy to dispel: if lightning has burned its way through a mile or more of air (which is a superb insulator), it is hardly logical to believe that a few millimeters of any insulating material will be protective. The second is a subject of contention but I tend to believe that there would be little effect from whatever is on the bottom of your feet. Certainly metal on the bottom of the feet can heat up and cause secondary burns, but it is unlikely to "draw" lightning to the person.

"I am safe in a car because the rubber tires protect me."

True and False. True because there have been no documented lightning deaths that have occurred in a hard topped metal vehicle with the windows rolled up. However, the composite tires have little, if any, part in this, for the same reasons as those just discussed with regard to insulation. The safety has to do with the fact that electrical current travels along the outside of a conductor (the metal body of the car) and dissipates to the ground through paths that include the tires and the rainwater.

"Wearing metal in my hair increases my chances of being hit. "

Questionable, although opinions exist both ways. Hairpins (who uses those anymore?) may be safe; metal helmets may not. The issue needs more study (and more publication). Kitigawa has shown fairly conclusively with dummies that metal about the head does not increase the likelihood of being hit (unless it projects far above the head, increasing the person's height).

"Carrying an umbrella increases my risk of being hit. "

True. Increasing your height by any amount increases your chances of being hit by a calculable amount, although a prospective, population-based, double-blind, randomized study has not been done to prove this, nor has the composition (metal versus composite or plastic) of the umbrella or one-iron been studied. Other dangerous things to avoid: avoid being the highest object anywhere, be it a beach, small open boat, pier, meadow, or ridge. Avoid being under a lightning rod (except when inside a substantial habitable building that is protected) or standing near a metal fence, underground pipes, or other metallic paths that can transmit lightning energy from a nearby strike. Avoid swimming, because lightning energy can be transmitted through the water to you. Sailboats should be equipped with adequate lightning protection systems.

"When outdoors, I should stay away from trees."

Mostly true. Certainly you should stay away from the tallest trees, which are more likely to be hit and side-flash or splash to you. However, one would not want to become the tallest object in an area by standing in a meadow, either. Making the shortest, smallest target is probably the best answer if caught in the open. If you are in a forested area, it may be wise to pick an area of dense growth of saplings or smaller trees, rather than either a large meadow or tall trees. If on a ridge, get to a lower area.

Seeking shelter in a substantial building when possible is advisable. The sheds on golf courses, unless adequately protected by a lightning mitigation system, are potentially more dangerous because they offer height but little protection and lightning may splash from a hit to the shelter onto the inhabitants.

"When lightning hits the ground nearby, it is 'grounded ' and I am safe. "

Totally and absolutely FALSE. Despite the fact that we call the earth a "ground," it is very difficult to pump electricity into the ground. Most "earth" is a very good insulator. When lightning hits the ground, it spreads out along the surface and first few inches of the ground in increasing circles of energy called "ground current." If it contacts a fence or a water pipe or wire entering a house it can be transmitted for quite a distance and cause injury to persons near these paths. People, being bags of electrolytes, are better transmitters of electrical current than most ground is, and many are injured by ground current effect each year as the lightning energy surges up one leg that is closer to the strike and down the one further away.

"My mother always told me to stay off the telephone (out of the bath tub, away from windows, unplug the appliances, etc.) during a thunderstorm. "

Good advice, if not always practical. Again, the ground current effect of energy transmitted into the structure along wires or pipes may find the person a better conduit to ground.(3,4) Many injuries occur every year to telephone users inside the home. One of the biggest new areas of consumer fraud has to do with claims of loss of "valuable" databases on computers damaged by lightning.

"Lightning only occurs with thunderstorms."

Most people know to seek shelter once the storm clouds roll overhead. Few realize that one of the most dangerous times for a fatal strike is before the storm. Lightning may travel as far as 10 km nearly horizontally from the thunderhead and seem to occur "out of the clear blue sky" or at least when the day is still mostly sunny. The faster the storm is traveling and the more violent it is, the more likely this is to occur. Another time underestimated for its potential danger is the end of a thunderstorm.

"If we could just harness lightning we could use that to power the world for months. "

Uman eloquently explains the reason this cannot be done and is false in his book, All About Lightning. He makes two points: it is impractical to intercept a sufficient number of the lightning strikes occurring in the world, and most of the energy in a lightning strike is converted to thunder, heat, light, and radio waves. He notes, "If its total energy were available, a single lightning flash would run an ordinary household light bulb for only a few months."

"Lightning could be used for a military weapon. "

Again, Uman a professor of electrical engineering who writes with wonderful clarity, is my source. "In view of the awesome destructive power of modern weaponry, the military use of lightning . . . would probably be more as a psychological than as a destructive weapon."

And last but not least, "Lightning never strikes the same place twice."

In reality, the Empire State Building and the Sears Tower get hit thousands of times a year, as do mountain tops and radio-television antennas. If the circumstances facilitating the original lightning strike are still in effect in an area, then the laws of nature will encourage lightning strikes to continue to be more prevalent there. After all, that is the reason that lightning protection systems are required on many public buildings (including hospitals) by building codes.

http://www.uic.edu/l...cts.htm#target6

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  • 1 month later...
Posted
  • Location: Near Romford Essex.
  • Location: Near Romford Essex.

I got 7 - very hard questions, a few of them were just pot luck for me! Don't know a thing about thunder/lightening though hahaaggressive.gif

8 out of ten.

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Posted
  • Location: Brongest,Wales
  • Weather Preferences: Stormy autumn, hot and sunny summer and thunderstorms all year round.
  • Location: Brongest,Wales

What I find quite strange but interesting is how a lot of the time lightning seems to strike just the ground rather then trees or objects which are above it because with trees being higher up you would have thought that it would be striking one every time there is a thunderstorm.

It may well be that the saying of lightning always strikes the tallest object in the vicinty is a myth as well or maybe at least not always true.

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Posted
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos
  • Weather Preferences: Thunderstorms :D
  • Location: Cheltenham,Glos

What I find quite strange but interesting is how a lot of the time lightning seems to strike just the ground rather then trees or objects which are above it because with trees being higher up you would have thought that it would be striking one every time there is a thunderstorm.

It may well be that the saying of lightning always strikes the tallest object in the vicinty is a myth as well or maybe at least not always true.

Hi ya wimblettben,smile.png

Came across this regarding the above.

Does lightning always strike the tallest object?

Written by: LEE Lap-shun September 2011

Everyone knows that lightning is very dangerous. However, there is a common misconception that lightning only strikes the tallest object. Let us explore the facts behind this myth.

Lightning stroke is initiated very high in thunderstorm clouds. Objects on the ground have very little influence on its travelling path, until the stroke comes to a distance very close to the ground. It is true that taller object is more susceptible to lightning because of shorter air gap between the lightning stroke and the object. However, for any attraction effect to come into play, the lightning stroke has to be very close to the object. The distance of influence is roughly equal to the height of the object. For example, a 4-metre pole can only attract lightning strokes which are less than 4 metres away. Therefore, do not assume that you are safe from lightning even if you see something else tall in your vicinity.

http://www.weather.gov.hk/education/edu01met/01met_thunder_lightning/ele_thunder10_e.htm

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Posted
  • Location: Brongest,Wales
  • Weather Preferences: Stormy autumn, hot and sunny summer and thunderstorms all year round.
  • Location: Brongest,Wales

Hi ya wimblettben,smile.png

Came across this regarding the above.

Does lightning always strike the tallest object?

Written by: LEE Lap-shun September 2011

Everyone knows that lightning is very dangerous. However, there is a common misconception that lightning only strikes the tallest object. Let us explore the facts behind this myth.

Lightning stroke is initiated very high in thunderstorm clouds. Objects on the ground have very little influence on its travelling path, until the stroke comes to a distance very close to the ground. It is true that taller object is more susceptible to lightning because of shorter air gap between the lightning stroke and the object. However, for any attraction effect to come into play, the lightning stroke has to be very close to the object. The distance of influence is roughly equal to the height of the object. For example, a 4-metre pole can only attract lightning strokes which are less than 4 metres away. Therefore, do not assume that you are safe from lightning even if you see something else tall in your vicinity.

http://www.weather.g...thunder10_e.htm

Thanks for this.smile.png

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