Facts you need to know about lightning and thunder

Lightning strikes and thunders are common sights during rainfall. Lightning is a giant discharge of electricity which could contain millions of volts. The spark can also reach over 8 kilometres in length; raise the temperature of the air by as much as 28,000 degrees Celsius. Lightning as you all know, wreak havocs in places where it strikes including the death of people.

A flash of light followed by a thunderous sound, in fact that is the first fact you need to know about the lightning. Both phenomena occur at the same time but you see a lightning before you hear the thunder because light is way faster than sound.

Here are interesting facts to know about lightning strikes:

The study of lightning is known as fulminology. The fear of lightning and thunder is called Astraphobia (sorry, not the beginning of wisdom). It is estimated that the Earth is struck by an average of more than a hundred lightning bolts every second.

Lightning can kill people or cause cardiac arrest. It is estimated that about 10% of lightning stroke victims are killed. It could also cause injuries like severe burns, permanent brain damage, memory loss, or even personality change.

Lightning is common in thunderstorms but that is not the only way of occurrence of the lightning. Lightning also occurs in volcanic eruptions, intense forest fires, nuclear detonations, heavy snowstorms, and in large hurricanes.

It has been predicted that ice in the cloud could be key in lightning development as ice particles collide as they move about in a storm, causing a separation of electric charges. Positively charged ice crystals rise to the top of the thunderstorm, and negatively charged ice particles and hailstones drop to the lower part of the storm. Enormous charge difference develops as a result of this.

The negatively charged bottom part of the storm out an invisible charge toward the ground. When the charge gets close to the ground, it is attracted by all positively charged objects and the electrical which develops in the channel is the lightning.

If you are able to see the lightning and hear the thunder at the same time, it means the lightning is not travelling to get to you and it is right there in your neighbourhood. The speed of sound is about 330km/h (92m/sec) which could means a distance of about less than a kilometer from you if you hear a thunder after 10 seconds of seeing the lightning (rough estimates considering the speed of light). Likewise, if you see successive strokes of lightning in the same place on the horizon, then, you are in line with the storm and it could be moving toward you.

If you can hear thunder, it means you are 16 kilometres of a storm and can be struck by lightning. It is advisable to seek shelter I this case. If you hear the thunder less than 30 seconds after seeing the lightning, it means it is within ten kilometers of you.

Also if your hair stands up, it could means there is an interaction of charges between your hair and lightning charges. It has also been discovered that a rubber shoe does not necessarily protect you from a lightning strike and holding an umbrella only increases the risk as charges could be attracted to the tip especially if you are in an open place.

Swimming is very dangerous during a lightning strike as you will be out in the open and water is also a good conductor of electricity. It is also advisable to stay away from your telephone during a lightning strike as most victims of lightning strikes were found to be talking on their phones at the time. Also avoid standing near metallic objects during lightning strikes.

Most houses, big structures, big stationary equipment, etc. have lightning arresters that possess pointed faces attached to them to direct the enormous charges to the Earth and to prevent any potential damage.

To conclude, I want to relate a brief history to you. In Yoruba tribe of Nigeria, history has it of a god in the Yoruba land named Sango which is dubbed the god of thunder. It is believed by its worshippers to kill thieves that are reported at its shrine. They believe the thief will be struck dead by a lightning and the stolen good will be placed on the thief’s chest.

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