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This shock wave is what you hear as thunder. The SES advises people not to speak on landline phones as the current can travel through lines.Source:Supplied. Although oceans cover 75 per cent of the earth’s surface, 70 per cent of lightning occurs over land. Lightning strikes over Clontarf on December 9 2014. If you are directly or indirectly struck by lightning, the odds that you'll survive are about 90%. The hail or snow crystals rub against each other, causing friction, and this generates the charge. Nationwide News Pty Limited Copyright © 2021. However, 75 per cent of lightning flashes occur within the cloud, and are called an `intra-cloud flash’. But it’s not the only factor that governs the global distribution of lightning. An airplane in commercial service is hit by heavenly jolts of energy on average once per year. Although lightning strikes can be fatal, around 90 per cent of people who are struck do survive. The Brisbane sky gets lit up last week. 01 of 02 Holle’s outline of how likely you are to be affected by lightning in the US. But it’s not the only factor that governs the global distribution of lightning. Lightning leads to thunder. Lightning seeks water, which means that it’ll strike your tent if it’s wet or sitting by a river, lake, or ocean. The African Centres for Lightning and Electromagnetics Network, the non-profit organisation striving to protect schoolchildren in Africa from lightning. The first, most obvious, is being directly hit. It won’t go to the inside,” Dr Jayaratne said. The most common way people are affected are through ground currents. There is also the `land-sea effect’. This is due to surface heating. A NOTE ABOUT RELEVANT ADVERTISING: We collect information about the content (including ads) you use across this site and use it to make both advertising and content more relevant to you on our network and other sites. Tall trees can be beacons of danger. If this happens, you’ll feel a shock, be thrown to the ground and your muscles will spasm. What does being struck by lightning do to a person’s body? Dr. Griggs says if a person is struck by lightning, it can cause cardiac arrest, which stops a person’s body from circulating blood and cause direct injury to the brain and nervous system, preventing the brain from being able to send the appropriate signals to tell the body to continue breathing. This means that you can easily get zapped if you are touching something metallic when your car is struck by lightning. Even what is considered a “mild strike” can still cause a lot of damage. If there’s rain falling down, you should pack up your gear and get out of there (if it’s an option). If you’re in electrified water, you may suffer electric shock and burns, even if lightning doesn’t hit you directly. A lightning strike can act as a massive fibrillator, upsetting the heart's electrical rhythm and causing cardiac arrest. When struck by lightning, people usually either die or suffer long-term negative consequences. “If lightning decides to hit that area it would go for the highest point and it would pick you out,” he noted. What really happens if an aircraft gets struck by lightning? Dr Rohan Jayaratne, a research fellow at Queensland University of Technology, said there is also the side flash, when lightning travels from an object through the air to you. Two men in Stanthorpe who were struck by lightning yesterday received only minor injuries. If you see someone struck by lightning, you should immediately call 999 to seek urgent medical attention. All times AEST (GMT +10). The most common way people are affected are through ground currents. Being inside a house is fairly safe, because if lightning strikes the house it will be conducted down the pipes to the ground. “The moisture on the surface of the bark conducts the current to the ground, so it’s more likely to get hit when it’s wet,” Dr Jayaratne said. The storm approaching Brisbane City yesterday. If you're a victim of a direct strike, the full impact of the lightning courses through your body. In the U.S., 33 people die every year from a lightning strike, and hundreds more are injured. You definitely don’t want to be playing golf. Somewhere in the sky, in the guts of a storm, lightning is forming. It’s this type of lightning that causes damage. If someone were struck by lightning without your feet touching the ground--say, maybe by climbing a tree--then that would mean that the electricity must have found some other path between them and the ground. The hail or snow crystals rub against each other, causing friction, and this generates the charge. In the other scenarios, the intensity is lessened because some of the energy is dispersed elsewhere. Picture Peter WallisSource:News Corp Australia. IT MIGHT make for epic photos on Instagram, but being struck by lightning is no joke and there are three ways it can happen. The heat of the lightning channel causes the surrounding air to rapidly expand, which in turn creates a shock wave. In fortunate cases, breathing and heartbeat may spontaneously resume. However, 75 per cent of lightning flashes occur within the cloud, and are called an `intra-cloud flash’. All times AEST (GMT +10). As an RV owner, you probably wonder what would happen if you RV gets struck by lightning. However, the highest lightning intensity in the world is in Rwanda, which is on the equator and home to tropical forests that create a lot of air moisture. Ten shocking things that can happen if you are struck by lightning Lightning bolts flash across the sky in Washington, D.C. “So if lightning hits the car, it will safely conduct to the ground outside. However, the highest lightning intensity in the world is in Rwanda, which is on the equator and home to tropical forests that create a lot of air moisture. The threat of lightning actually starts as a thunderstorm approaches, peaks when the storm is overhead, and then gradually diminishes as the storm moves away. Metallic objects are more likely to attract lightning along with trees, because of their height and especially when they’re wet. This is when the spark is from the top of the cloud to the bottom of the cloud, and when you see a cloud light up, but no strike. “The moisture on the surface of the bark conducts the current to the ground, so it’s more likely to get hit when it’s wet,” Dr Jayaratne said. According to Dr. David Claypool of Mayo Clinic, whether or not you are hit directly or indirectly will have a huge impact on how your body is affected by the incident. Because a car has a metal body, the current doesn’t penetrate into the middle where it’s safe for you to sit. Lightning is more common the closer you are to the equator. Dr Rohan Jayaratne, a research fellow at Queensland University of Technology, said there is also the side flash, when lightning travels from an object through the air to you. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. If your boat gets struck by lightning, and although you might not notice any damage or initial problems with the electronics after a lightning strike, it is still recommended that you contact your insurance company anyways and have them perform a hull assessment. If this happens, you’ll feel a shock, be thrown to the ground and your muscles will spasm. Run, Run Sweet Road Runner, 1965. Being struck by lightning may lead to burns, rupturing of the eardrum, eye damage, cardiac arrest, and respiratory arrest. This image shows several lightning … You can tell how far the lightning is from you by measuring the time between the lightning and the thunder. A presentation highlighting how disability, not death, is the more common outcome of being struck by lightning. Also, if you shelter under a tree, the lightning current can jump to you so don’t seek a tree shelter during a storm. The United States is struck by lightning about 25 million times a year. When a bolt of lightning does strike a human frame, very bad things happen. There are steps you can take if you’re caught outside during a lightning storm. You can tell how far the lightning is from you by measuring the time between the lightning and the thunder. When the ground around the equator becomes hot, the air expands and rises, creating thunderstorms high in the atmosphere. Spectacular lightning show as a dangerous storm sweeps across the Gold Coast with highrises constantly struck by lightning. After all, we tend to camp/RV in some very exposed areas and in all kinds of weather. The taller the thunderstorm, the more intense the lightning, Dr Jayaratne said. While about 10 percent of lightning strike victims are killed, many of the 90 percent that survives are left with lasting complications. This is referred to as the ‘latitude effect’. It’s more common in tropical places, closer to the equator. Being inside a house is fairly safe, because if lightning strikes the house it will be conducted down the pipes to the ground. Pics Tara Croser.Source:News Corp Australia. The vast majority travels around the … Why Australia’s relationship with China hinges on battle for... Telstra cops $50m for dodgy conduct towards Indigenous custo... Britain’s HMS Queen Elizabeth sails to Indo-Pacific amid Chi... Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. One of the safest places to be during a storm is inside a car, which acts as a `Faraday cage’. Don’t shower, and you also shouldn’t use a landline phone because power lines can carry the current through the line. If they both happen at the same time, the lightning is directly overhead. “When this charge builds up you can have a spark between the top and the bottom, or between the bottom and the ground,” Dr Jayaratne said. A NOTE ABOUT RELEVANT ADVERTISING: We collect information about the content (including ads) you use across this site and use it to make both advertising and content more relevant to you on our network and other sites. The circulatory, respiratory and nervous systems are most commonly affected when a … Picture: AAP Image/NEWZULU/BRODIE FARREN.Source:Getty Images. Water is another huge problem when there’s lightning in the area. 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