What to do in a thunderstorm?!!

[Jimmy Doug]

They're also good make-shift contraceptives!

 

[sunnyjim]

No they don't.

Oh yes they do.

 

[Zoiders]

Lighting is highly non-linear and most of the protection advice is conjecture.

Short of not being under a storm cloud there is little to be done.

They have taken footage of lightning strikes and the area about to be hit begins to glow, little streamers of plasma begin to be given off from objects at ground level, which ever streamer climbs the highest completes the circuit and allows the lightning to strike ground, this seems to a fairly random process and not as dependent on height or conductivity as people imagine.

 

[ColinJ]

They have taken footage of lightning strikes and the area about to be hit begins to glow, little streamers of plasma begin to be given off from objects at ground level, which ever streamer climbs the highest completes the circuit and allows the lightning to strike ground, this seems to a fairly random process and not as dependent on height or conductivity as people imagine.

I was talking to Fiona N on Sunday and she told me that she got caught out in a thunderstorm on a ride once and her bike started sizzling and buzzing ... yikes!

 

[ClichéGuevara]

I was talking to Fiona N on Sunday and she told me that she got caught out in a thunderstorm on a ride once and her bike started sizzling and buzzing ... yikes!

I could find myself with a severely slapped face for my answer if a lady had said similar to me.

 

[Red Light]

I was talking to Fiona N on Sunday and she told me that she got caught out in a thunderstorm on a ride once and her bike started sizzling and buzzing ... yikes!

Yes, that is a strong warning sign along with the hair on your head standing up. In mountaineering you are advised to dump anything metallic and take shelter well away from it because of the propensity of conducting objects to attract strikes.

 

[Glow worm]

I was talking to Fiona N on Sunday and she told me that she got caught out in a thunderstorm on a ride once and her bike started sizzling and buzzing ... yikes!

I've had similar from cycling under pylons - or rather the wires between them- weird.

Interesting thread this- I got 7% in my last ever physics exam, and wouldn't know an amp from a volt from a kilowatt, but have probably learned more reading this thread than 2 years of physics torture at school! The cow thing is something I never knew- giraffes must be well and truly f****d in a storm!

 

[asterix]

My barn wot I am converting is on top of the highest ground for far and wide. It is the highest building too. We get quite a few storms and it is possible to watch them approach from miles away.

When there is a thunderstorm I just tell myself that as it hasn't been struck for c. 3 centuries I may be ok. When I was living in a caravan next to it there was a storm and the lightning strike was very close. Huge blue flashes came from beneath the seat opposite to me where the Zig unit was and it tripped all the switches. The thunder clap was simultaneous, a tremendous crack that shook the caravan like a drum beat.

A later storm fried my laptop's power supply that I had foolishly failed to disconnect.

I have been in a building struck by lighting. It had a lightning conductor but even so many of the plug sockets were blown out of the walls.

 

[skudupnorth]

We had the joy of watching our salesmen run like mad to put the cabriolet roof's up on two brand new Porsche's when the rain came today in Bolton ...oh what joy !!!

 

[Jimmy Doug]

My barn wot I am converting is on top of the highest ground for far and wide. It is the highest building too. We get quite a few storms and it is possible to watch them approach from miles away.

My wife's uncle lived in a converted barn such as yours - near the top of a mountain in the Lozère. His tales of how lightning regular falls nearby are enough to scare the shite out of anyone. Good luck with it!
Has anyone ever experienced ball lightning? It's very rare, so probably not. My wife's grandmother has. It was in the south of France - in Provence somewhere. Ball lightning came down the chimney and moved slowly across the room - and then crashed into the wall. No damage - apart from her nerves!

 

[Glow worm]

When there is a thunderstorm I just tell myself that as it hasn't been struck for c. 3 centuries I may be ok.

In Norfolk they would always plant house leek ( a kind of succulent plant a bit like a hardy cactus) on the roof pantiles as it is said it will stop your house from getting struck by lightning. I planted some on my parent's house there 15 or so years ago, and so far it's worked a treat! (It keeps witches away too apparently - although I'm less sure about that one as it didn't stop an ex -girlfriend coming round once).

 

[ColinJ]

The cow thing is something I never knew- giraffes must be well and truly f****d in a storm!

Unfortunately, so are lots of African schoolchildren ...

 

[Jimmy Doug]

Awful. But interesting to note that such incidents seem to be on the increase since the felling of trees. When forests are replaced by shrup, buildings and people are more likely to be hit.

 

[Lien Sdrawde]

video here showing you dont necessarily need to be right by the strike to be affected by it

Never heard of ball lightening before (and I love strange weather things) so thanks for that. Found a video on youtube if your interested - ball lightening

 

[Jimmy Doug]

Doesn't look like ball lightning to me. That looks like a conventional flash. When I think of ball lightning, this is what I think of:

I used to think ball lightning belonged to the realms of science fiction - but it's a reality, albeit very rare. It was my wife's grandmother's vivid account that convinced me of its existence. Now, thanks to the Internet, you can find videos of it. Here's one:

[media]

]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XKpY8MTyQ8[/media]