So many people being struck by lightning !

youtube! · 07-06-2016 04:35PM #1

Another today in Lisburn (unfortunate name )

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/man-critically-injured-by-lisburn-lightning-strike-two-children-suffer-burn-injuries-34779608.html

It got me thinking at just how prevalent this is becoming in the past month they have been occurring literally every other day, France, Germany, Ukraine, Poland, Italy and many more.

One thing I have noticed in this report however is that the man was on his mobile at the time and it got me thinking that perhaps it is happening more often these days because our smart phones are acting as a conductor, and if this is indeed the case then rather it being the finger of God displeased at our antics maybe it's just a product of our modern way of life, of course I am probably completely wrong, any experts care to try to explain it?

stimpson · 07-06-2016 04:37PM

You have more chance of winning the lotto.

smash · 07-06-2016 04:38PM

youtube! wrote: »

any experts care to try to explain it?

Thor!

CFlat · 07-06-2016 04:39PM

It's shocking.

Timberrrrrrrr · 07-06-2016 04:40PM

Lightening will take the least path of resistance to the ground, if the man was in the open then he would have been struck no matter as he was the tallest thing in the area, it's why you never shelter under trees during lightening. Hopefully they all make a full recovery.

youtube! · 07-06-2016 04:40PM

stimpson wrote: »

You have more chance of winning the lotto.

No with my luck I would actually win the lotto and get struck by lightning as am about to cash it in.

Water John · 07-06-2016 04:42PM

Yeah, that's why if you are caught out in a thunder storm, you should do the unlikely thing and lie out flat in a field.

Winterlong · 07-06-2016 04:42PM

I am shocked.

meeeeh · 07-06-2016 04:44PM

It's season for the storms, they would be quite common where I come from. Plus half of the time people stand under the tree when rain starts falling.

kneemos · 07-06-2016 04:55PM

Water John wrote: »

Yeah, that's why if you are caught out in a thunder storm, you should do the unlikely thing and lie out flat in a field.

Not a good idea to lay in wet ground either,the shock will travel if it hits nearby.
I suggest a tinfoil hat.

whiskeyman · 07-06-2016 04:56PM

There's way too many lightning bolts coming in here.
We need more lightning controls put in place.
Strike back and vote 'Leave' for Brexit!

Timberrrrrrrr · 07-06-2016 05:01PM

whiskeyman wrote: »

There's way too many lightning bolts coming in here.
We need more lightning controls put in place.
Strike back and vote 'Leave' for Brexit!

I blame DO'B

SEPT 23 1989 · 07-06-2016 05:04PM

Fun fact

You know you are going to get hit because a split second before the strike all your hair stands up on end and then the slight discomfort begins as the bolt enters your body

imitation · 07-06-2016 05:05PM

Lightning strikes have always been a big danger in many parts of the world. I reckon in europe most lightning storms usually have a nice lash of rain to go along with them, which means most people are indoors and not at risk. The last bout have been occuring in dry weather, when everybody is outside relaxing. Unfortunately people are water filled conductor bags so they are good targets.

I read before even most survivors are wet when they are stuck as the lightning travels over the wet clothes and skin instead of through all the vital organs. Smart phones have no impact, they are incased in glass and plastic.

If you hear thunder, then get inside a house or a car till it passes over. Its no joke even getting partially struck as you could be in pain for the rest of your life due to fried nerve endings !

smash · 07-06-2016 05:05PM

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Fun fact

You know you are going to get hit because a split second before the strike all your hair stands up on end and then the slight discomfort begins as the bolt enters your body

The trick is to levitate!

Renegade Mechanic · 07-06-2016 05:05PM

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Fun fact

You know you are going to get hit because a split second before the strike all your hair stands up on end and then the slight discomfort begins as the bolt enters your body

Which is pretty awful really, because you have time to think, analyse and realise exactly whats about to happen to you, and there's nothing you can do about it

CFlat · 07-06-2016 05:09PM

There use to be a circuit band back in the 80s called Lighting Strikes. I just thought ye might be interested in that.

Barry Badrinath · 07-06-2016 05:15PM

I know a guy that was struck by thunder.

Twentybilliontimes

So there!

The Backwards Man · 07-06-2016 05:18PM

My Granda taught me the safest place to be when lightning strikes when I was a wee fella.

Somewhere else.

SEPT 23 1989 · 07-06-2016 05:21PM

CFlat wrote: »

There use to be a circuit band back in the 80s called Lighting Strikes. I just thought ye might be interested in that.

Hopefully that piece of information will save lives

kneemos · 07-06-2016 05:21PM

A church . I'll never hit a church.

suicide_circus · 07-06-2016 05:22PM

Not that funny in this case with one child serious and the other critical in hospital.

Sky King · 07-06-2016 05:25PM

Timberrrrrrrr wrote: »

, it's why you never shelter under trees during lightening. Hopefully they all make a full recovery.

Given your user name - I guess you're referring to the trees yeah?

youtube! · 07-06-2016 05:29PM

It's definitely happening a lot more often this past few weeks .

failinis · 07-06-2016 05:30PM

I remember being told to do this, if I was out on flat ground or on a hill/mountain and no chance of getting inside a car or a house at the time.
Might be bull **** but sure might help someone.

http://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/Public/2014/May/lightning-strike.jpg

The Backwards Man · 07-06-2016 05:39PM

youtube! wrote: »

It's definitely happening a lot more often this past few weeks .

You're definitely reading a few more stories in the news about lightning strikes this last few weeks. Lightning kills thousands of people a year, every year, always has and always will.

Wetwipe65 · 07-06-2016 05:42PM

Timberrrrrrrr wrote:

Lightening will take the least path of resistance to the ground, if the man was in the open then he would have been struck no matter as he was the tallest thing in the area, it's why you never shelter under trees during lightening. Hopefully they all make a full recovery.

Water John wrote:

Yeah, that's why if you are caught out in a thunder storm, you should do the unlikely thing and lie out flat in a field.

I would have thought, standing near a tree would be best, the tree is taller than me therefore the tree would be struck? If you lie down in the middle of a open area, you are still the tallest thing in that area?

Ficheall · 07-06-2016 05:43PM

I've never understood how lightning/electricity "knows" which is the path of least resistance route. Like, if you stood a 120m tall rubber dildo beside the spire in Dublin, how would the lightning pick which was easier to get through? Does it send out little feelers or somesuch somehow?

failinis · 07-06-2016 05:45PM

Wetwipe65 wrote: »

I would have thought, standing near a tree would be best, the tree is taller than me therefore the tree would be struck? If you lie down in the middle of a open area, you are still the tallest thing in that area?

Do not stand near a tree, if the lightning hits the tree it likely will fall, or send out shards of wood, and it still spreads out on the ground once it hits as well.
Or in the unlikely event it will miss the tree and get you I suppose.

The Backwards Man · 07-06-2016 05:49PM

Wetwipe65 wrote: »

I would have thought, standing near a tree would be best, the tree is taller than me therefore the tree would be struck? If you lie down in the middle of a open area, you are still the tallest thing in that area?

It's what happens after the tree is struck that makes standing under a tree dangerous, there's a possibility the current, or the tree itself, will jump through you.

meeeeh · 07-06-2016 06:31PM

Irc my father's aunt and two other women were working in the field when they were caught by storm. They sat under nice big three that was on it's own. The lightning struck and only dad's aunt who was sitting in the middle survived. Anyway even as a child I was told to stay away from trees or avoid going into the mountains if there was a storm coming. I would guess relatively less people get killed now because there is less manual work in the fields.

For whatever reason area around our house was popular and I remember a lightning struck at neighbour's house once and twice into the woods right behind our house. I slept right through it once and only found out a few days later. I'm not overly scared of thunderstorms but l wouldn't fancy being somewhere in Alps during one.

So many people being struck by lightning !

Comments