As the season changes from spring to summer, more people start spending longer times outdoors. But with the hustle and bustle of summertime fun, sometimes we forget about the dangers that come with a general thunderstorm. Meteorologists have a general idea of where and when thunderstorms will occur on a given day, but it's the localized impacts fromthese storms that make it tough to forecast. Lightning, for instance, is particularly dangerous. It is very localized and difficult to predict just where and when it will strike during any given storm. So, let's review some safety tips.
Before we dive in, we first need to understand how lightning develops! Within any thunderstorm, there are multiple moving parts. Negative and positive charges are created and become separated at opposite ends of the clouds. This is a a result of the many updrafts and downdrafts moving raindrops and hailstones within the cloud. Once a charge separation occurs in the storm, lightning is able to form.
There are four main types of lightning: cloud to ground, cloud to cloud, intra-cloud, and cloud to air. The most harmful of the four, of course, is the cloud to ground lightning. This forms when charges in the storm cloud find a channel through the air and to the ground. If you see an approaching thunderstorm, be aware that a storm only needs to be within 10 to 15 miles before lightning turns dangerous. If you want a quick way to estimate lightning distance, do this: when you see a flash, count the number of seconds until you hear thunder and divide by 5. The result is the distance to the lightning strike in miles. However, you should never mess around when it comes to lightning. If you hear thunder, then you are close enough to get struck. Remember, when thunder roars, go indoors.
So, how do you protect yourself from lightning? Indoors is the safest place to be during a thunderstorm. When inside, avoid electrical equipment and plumbing. Also, avoid contact with water such as taking a shower, washing dishes, or doing laundry. Stay away from windows, doors, porches, and even the garage. Also, never lie on concrete floors or lean on concrete walls. The most interior room on the lowest level of a house is the safest place (ex. closet, pantry) during a strong thunderstorm.
If you are outdoors, keep moving to find a safe shelter. There is NO safe place outside in a thunderstorm. If you absolutely cannot find shelter, stay away from hills, trees (especially isolated ones), poles and fence rows. Keep in mind, baseball dugouts (or similar shelters), highway overpasses, and bodies of water do not protect you from lightning. Cars with hard top roofs do provide safety because the electricity from the lightning will go around the metal frame into the ground; therefore, do not lean against car doors during a thunderstorm.
Here are some interesting facts about lightning:
Finally, we get a lot of questions about what exactly is heat lightning. Heat lightning is not the result of a very hot day at a particular location. In fact, it is an actual thunderstorm that is so far away that a person can see the lightning from it, but not hear the thunder. This is because light can travel farther than sound, so the sound of the thunder dissipates before it reaches the observer.
WeatherWorks: Your Lightning Experts
Why wait for the first lightning strike to ruin your operations, when you can predict it ahead of time? At WeatherWorks, we've mastered the art of lightning prediction, able to detect whether a storm is capable of producing strikes. Perfect for large venues, sports teams, schools, or any outdoor event, this proactive approach to forecasting lightning helps safeguard you and your patrons from potential dangers. If you're curious about how WeatherWorks can help you minimize risks and maximize safety, give us a call at 908-850-8600 or email info@weatherworksinc.com
