Lightning strikes?

[Dirk]

The nearest I've ever been to a lightning strike was many years ago when I was a GPO Telephone Engineer apprentice. I was walking about 20 ft from the base of the Post Office tower, on Lionel Street in Birmingham, when it was struck. The discharge earthed through the conductor on my side of the tower. All I remember is my hair standing on end, having a really 'weird' feeling all over and a very loud noise. I was uninjured though.
I am currently sitting through a thunder storm in my caravan, on a CL site in the Cotswolds. The storm appears to have just about cleared now. One strike had a simultaneous flash and bang and appeared to hit ground somewhere near a small copse about 100 yds away.
This set me thinking; how close can you be to a lightning strike without harm and what are the chances of being hit and surviving?
I have to say that lightning doesn't bother me, I actually find it quite fascinating.
My dog on the other hand.......

 

[classic33]

"Lightning Roy" got hit seven times and survived them all.

You can be a lot closer than 300 foot.

 

[Profpointy]

I was on a mountain in Cairngorms in light snow and my girlfriend's (long) hair was standing up straight (like when you hold a van der graaf generator in school) and one or two of the party claimed to hear buzzing noises. Initially thought "oh that's funny" and stopped to take a picture - then after a couple of seconds the penny dropped and it changed to "oh shoot! We'd better get t-f outa here pdq" We had to go nearly a mile and a few hundred metres lower till the hair-warning subsided. Managed a 180 degree map goof at the same time in the near white-out but eventually sorted ourselves out and got back to our tents.

I also know 3 people who've been struck by lightening; one of them twice. All got away with it.

 

[Dirk]

.................You can be a lot closer than 300 foot.

I know.
I was 20 ft away the first time.

 

[classic33]

I know.
I was 20 ft away the first time.

First time it'd already struck though. At the top.

 

[Dirk]

It still had to discharge the voltage to earth, so not much in it either way.

 

[jonny jeez]

I was on a mountain in Cairngorms in light snow and my girlfriend's (long) hair was standing up straight (like when you hold a van

der graaf generator in school) and one or two of the party claimed to hear buzzing noises. Initially thought "oh that's funny" and stopped to take a picture - then after a couple of seconds the penny dropped and it changed to "oh shoot! We'd better get t-f outa here pdq" We had to go nearly a mile and a few hundred metres lower till the hair-warning subsided. Managed a 180 degree map goof at the same time in the near white-out but eventually sorted ourselves out and got back to our tents.

I also know 3 people who've been struck by lightening; one of them twice. All got away with it.

This is a famous "last" photo of two brothers who were subsequently struck by lightning. I believe one was tragically killed and the other suffered life altering burns.

You were lucky

 

[Fnaar]

Here's one slowed down:

 

[Profpointy]

This is a famous "last" photo of two brothers who were subsequently struck by lightning. I believe one was tragically killed and the other suffered life altering burns.

View attachment 131917

You were lucky

it looked like that ! The GF tended not to wear a hat or hood, so if it had just been us lads, all hatted and hooded, apart from shorter hair, we'd not have noticed. Didn't hear any thunder that day, and it was just steady snowflakes rather than a storm, but still....

 

[mark st1]

The platform at Burnham train station lightning hit the other platform opposite. I'd just been to the dentist and he a tooth pulled out so didn't have full control of my functions. (Hate the dentist) with a heavily injected and sore numb mouth I manged to bite a chunk out of my tongue. And worse make a pathetic little scream when the lightning hit.

 

[fossyant]

Did anyone see "Cities in the sky" on BBC2 about composite planes ?

I wouldn't be getting a carbon bike hit with lightning unless it was coated with a special copper mesh on it. Kaboom. The carbon just splinters.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I have never been close enough to lightning before, but I have watched, from the front pull-down window (droplight) and from my seat, a class 90 AC electric loco working the southbound Scotrail sleeper on such a cold night that the pantograph (the 'arm' on top of a train to pick up the 25Kv from the wires) was arcing constantly (and I mean constantly!), meaning that the line and surrounding countryside between Glasgow and probably about the north of Lancaster (including Beatock and Shap, et al) was all illuminated by the eerie, light blue/green glow of 25,000 volts AC whilst it all merrily cracked and fizzed audibly a few feet away from me.

I have seen many things arcing, but nothing as sustained and spectacular as THAT!

 

[perplexed]

I clicked on this thinking it was a thread about the French...

 

[cisamcgu]

This is a famous "last" photo of two brothers who were subsequently struck by lightning. I believe one was tragically killed and the other suffered life altering burns.

View attachment 131917

You were lucky

One escaped injury and one had 3rd degree burns, but both survived - interesting story

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/decad...to-still-reminder-lightning-danger-6C10791362

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I clicked on this thinking it was a thread about the French...

BOOM BOOM....... There!