The amount of electricity in a bolt of lightning is huge, and plenty sufficient to kill you should it come into contact with your body. Whilst the chances of you being struck by lightning are mercifully slim, it does happen.
- Logic suggests that the safest place to be during a lightning storm is inside. This is pretty much true, being within a building is safe, as long as it is stable.
- Odd as it may seem, a car is considered a very safe place to be during a storm (see note at end).
- If you are unable to take shelter, do not shelter under a tree or any other tall object. Whilst the lightning is more likely to strike the tree rather than you, the electricity can jump to you from the tree, and this is not to mention the risk of the tree falling and crushing you.
- The advice I was always given was to crouch with your head as low as possible. It is also advised to keep contact with the ground to a minimum (ie crouch on the balls of your feet).
- Using telecommunications equipment during storms is generally a bad idea, as the you can recieve a nasty electric shock transmitted down the line from a pylon struck by lightning. This kills several people a year. Mobile phones and cordless phones are somewhat safer, with the latter ensure you are away from the base unit. Unplugging telecoms equipment full-stop is a good idea anyway, I've lost at least 3 modems through lightning storms, and they weren't covered by the warranty.
- I've also been told that the use of any electronic equipment, including computers, is also dangerous due to the risk of shock being transferred from the mains to you, through a keyboard or headphones for example. Whether this is erring a little far on the side of caution I couldn't say. Better safe than sorry, perhaps.
- Any unnecessary contact with water is, needless to say, a bad idea. This extends to basins, taps, baths and showers.
Basically, get inside. Failing that, get in a car. And if you ARE outside with no shelter to run to, avoid trees, keep low, keep your head lower, and minimise contact with the ground.
Teiresias writes: Reason that cars are safe is due to a common misconception about lightening, there is a faint 'leader stroke' from the ground to the cloud which allows the cloud to earth on the downstroke. The reason cars are safe is that 4 blocks of rubber insulate the car from the ground thus preventing the leader stroke from going up.The leader stroke is also why lightening hits the highest point in the vicinity.