There are about 1,800 thunderstorms around the world at any given time.
Lightning travels upwards and downwards.
Lightning can reach temperatures of approximately 50,000°F. Very, very hot!!
Lightning produces up to 100 million volts
Ben Franklin is credited with inventing “lightning rods”. His famous kite experiment dates back to 1752
MYTHS
Lightning will always strike the highest object. FALSE. While this is generally true, in many instances, lower objects are often hit first.
Lightning will never strike the same spot twice. FALSE. A good example is the Empire State Building
A large tree will protect a nearby house. FALSE Often, a lightning strike will “side flash” from a tree to a nearby structure, telephone line, or a water or gas pipe and the current will make its way into the house. Indirect strikes can cause as much damage as direct strikes.
MAPS
Lightning Fatalities, Injuries, and Damage Reports in the United States
Top Perils in Your Area http://www.flash.org/perils.php
THE AVERAGE DISTANCE BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE FLASHES IS GREATER THAN PREVIOUSLY KNOWN.
Old data said successive flashes were on the order of 3-4 km apart. New data shows half the flashes are some 9 km apart. The National Severe Storms Laboratory report concludes with a recommendation that: "It appears the safety rules need to be modified to increase the distance from a previous flash which can be considered to be relatively safe, to at least 10 to 13 km (6 to 8 miles). In the past, 3 to 5 km (2-3 miles) was as used in lightning safety education."
A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF LIGHTNING FLASHES ARE FORKED.
Many cloud-to-ground lightning flashes have forked or multiple attachment points to earth. Tests carried out in both the USA and Japan
LIGHTNING CAN SPREAD OUT SOME 60 FT. UPON STRIKING EARTH'S SURFACE.
Radial horizontal arcing has been measured at least 20 m. from the point where lightning enters the earth. Depending upon soils characteristics, safe conditions for people and equipment near lightning termination points (ground rods) may need to be re-evaluated.
There are three main ways lightning enters homes and buildings:
A direct strike
Through wires or pipes that extend outside the structure
Through the ground.
Regardless of the method of entrance, once in a structure, the lightning can travel through the electrical, phone, plumbing, and radio/television reception systems. Lightning can also travel through any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring.
It can deliver as much as 100 million volts of electricity and strike a target up to 16 kilometers away.
If you count the seconds between a flash of lightning and a thunder clap, you can tell approximately how close the lightning is to you: each second representing about 300 meters. Remember though, if you can hear thunder you are within striking distance.
