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- More than 1000 people each year are killed by lightning worldwide.
- Lightning is a giant discharge of electricity accompanied by a brilliant flash of light and a loud crack of thunder. The spark can extend up to 10 miles, raise the air temperature up to 27,700°C and contain a hundred million electrical volts at 10,000 amps.
- Ice particles in clouds are thought to cause lightning. Ice particles collide as they swirl around in a storm, causing a separation of electrical charges. Positively charged ice crystals rise to the top of the thunderstorm and negatively charged ice particles and hailstones drop to the lower parts of the storm. Charge differences develop and the cloud acts as an enormous battery.
- The cloud develops a strong negative charge on the bottom part which attracts an equal and opposite positive charge from anything on the ground, particularly from tall objects. When these charges meet there is electrical transfer between them – lightning.
- Thunder is caused by the rapid expansion of heated air in the atmosphere. Since light travels faster than sound, the thunder is heard after the lightning.
- If you see lightning and hear thunder at the same time, then the storm is overhead.
- If your hair stands on end when you are in a storm, this is a bad sign. It could mean that positive charges are rising through you. Get under cover straight away.
