| Lightning: Breathtaking Beauty |
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| Written by NOAA staff | |
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But precautions are in order...
Lightning kills more people each year than tornadoes, according to the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It's erratic and its strikes are random. And powerful? Each spark can reach over five miles, hit temperatures of approximately 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and generate between 100 million and 1 billion volts of electricity.
It's dazzling to look at, but only if you're safely inside. 1) If you can hear thunder, it's time to go inside. Quickly. People think that distant thunder can be ignored, but lightning is unpredictable. It can strike as far as 10 miles away from where it's raining, and it can travel sideways, too. 2) Dark cloud bases and increasing wind are warnings of impending thunder and lightning.
3) Even if the sky is blue and clear, and the wind gentle, run for cover if you hear thunder.
4) You're in acute danger if the time delay between seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder is less than 30 seconds.
 Photo by C. Clark for NOAA Photo Library, NOAA Central Library; OAR / ERL / National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL): Time-lapse photography captures cloud-to-ground lightning during a night-time thunderstorm in Norman, Oklahoma. The Science
Despite the danger, lightning is fascinating, weird, and beautiful. Here's what NOAA says about the science.
Lightning is caused by the attraction between positive and negative charges in the atmosphere, resulting in the buildup and discharge of electrical energy. This rapid heating and cooling of the air produces the shock wave that results in thunder. During a storm, raindrops can acquire extra electrons, which are negatively charged. These surplus electrons seek out a positive charge from the ground. As they flow from the clouds, they knock other electrons free, creating a conductive path. This path follows a zigzag shape that jumps between randomly distributed clumps of charged particles in the air. When the two charges connect, current surges through that jagged path, creating the lightning bolt.
Image Credit: NOAA Photo Library, NOAA Central Library; OAR / ERL / National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL): Storm clouds from night-time thunderstorm. Illuminated by cloud-to-cloud lightning.
First Aid for Lightning Victims
Ninety percent of lightning victims survive their encounter, especially with timely medical treatment. Individuals struck by lightning do not carry a charge, and it is safe to touch them and provide medical treatment. Call 911 and start mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. If the victim has no pulse, begin cardiac compressions. In cold, wet situations put a protective layer between the victim and the ground to lower the risk of hypothermia.
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posted Jan.10, 2007
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