Globally, about 24 000 people are killed by lightning and another 240 000 are injured each year. Picture: AP
By James Rawlings
While your chance of getting struck by lightning is low, it’s important to know how to stay safe during a thunderstorm.
Globally, about 24 000 people are killed by lightning and another 240 000 are injured each year.
Most people are familiar with basic thunderstorm safety, such as avoiding standing under trees or near a window, and not speaking on a corded phone (cellphones are safe).
But did you know you should avoid taking a shower or a bath or washing the dishes during a thunderstorm?
The most useful advice for a thunderstorm is: when thunder roars, go indoors.
However, this does not mean you are safe from the storm. There are some activities inside that can be almost as risky as staying outside in the storm.
Path of least resistance
Unless you’re sitting in a bath outside or showering in the rain, you’re incredibly unlikely to be struck by lightning.
But if lightning strikes your house, the electricity would follow the path of least resistance to the ground.
Things such as metal wires or water in your pipes provide a convenient conductive path for the electricity to follow to the ground.
The shower provides both of those things (water and metal), making it an ideal path for the electricity to take. It could turn that nice relaxing shower into something far less relaxing.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Preventionencourage people to avoid all water-based activities during a thunderstorm – even the washing up – to reduce your risk of a strike.
There are other risks to look out for during a thunderstorm. One that might not seem obvious is leaning on a concrete wall.
While concrete itself isn’t that conductive, if it has been reinforced with metal beams (called “rebar”), these can provide a conductive path for lightning.
Also avoid using anything plugged into an electrical outlet (computers, TVs, washing machines, dishwashers) as all of the can provide pathways for the lightning strike to take.
As a rule of thumb, if you can hear thunder in the distance, then you’re close enough to the storm to have lightning reach you, even if there is no rain.
Lightning strikes can happen as far as 16km away from the parent storm.
Typically, half an hour after hearing that final thunderclap is a safe time to venture back into the shower.
Thunderstorms usually like to save a big one for the end, and you don’t want to end up part of the fireworks!
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