Far more people are frightened by the crackles and rumbles of thunder rather than the flash of lightning. However, thunder cannot hurt anybody, and the risk of being struck by lightning is far less than that of being killed in a car crash. Ninety per cent of lightning discharges go from between parts of the same cloud or from cloud-to-cloud, never actually reaching the earth.
Additionally, most of the discharges that do strike the ground cause little or no damage or harm. Lightning takes the shortest and quickest route to the ground, usually via a high object standing alone.
Lightning Safety Tips
- Lightning strikes lone trees on high ground - don't shelter here!
- You are safe inside a car. The electricity is carried through the metal of the car itself and to the ground through the tyres.
- If you get stuck in the open, make yourself low by crouching down, or run for shelter.
- Lightning strikes aircraft, but the people inside are safe because it runs around the outside, though it can make a hole in the superstructure.
- Lightning strikes tall buildings, but they have lightning conductors to carry the electricity harmlessly to the ground.
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