The rainy season is here, and we’ve already had several weather disturbances so far since its onset only weeks ago. While the rains are a welcome relief indeed from the sweltering summer, they also bring a host of new worries. There’s the risk of flooding in low-lying communities and the various health problems that usually come with the showers.
Thanks to our much improved disaster preparedness and defensive attitude against common ailments, we are now able to contain the customary rainy-day problems to the minimum. But there remains one risk we just cannot sufficiently manage or protect ourselves from. It’s one that has always been there, although not as alarming in the past as it is lately.
The incidence of lightning strikes has noticeably increased. This has become a matter of great concern. These past few months alone there have been several reports of lightning strikes that resulted in damage to both human life and property.
Truth is, the earth is struck by at least 100 flashes of lightning every second. That totals to more than 8.6 million strikes a day. A regular flash of lightning carries around 100 million volts of electricity and reaches a temperature of up to five times hotter than in a crematory furnace.
It may seem quite a spectacle to see a succession of lightning flashes. When the flashes occur in great intensity, the sky would appear ablaze. But what may look like a grand pyrotechnics display can be very dangerous when the flash comes so close by.
If you are near a lightning’s path, you could suffer injuries in several ways. You could suffer a direct hit. Or, more likely, you could be hit by electrical splashes from a stricken nearby object.
Electrical current can also travel through the ground and enter your body through your legs. Electrocution could result, too, if you touch an object that is directly hit. Injuries could range from burns, dizziness, confusion, ruptured eardrums, temporary blindness or paralysis, to amnesia or to cardiac arrest.
Scientists observe that lightning usually begins with concentrated negative electrical charges that collect in the lower part of storm clouds at an altitude of some 20,000 feet. These electrical charges are supposedly created by the collisions of rising ice crystals and falling hailstones. The clash of temperatures between the clouds and the ground below also contributes to the sparks. When the air becomes so heated by numerous little sparks, thunder explodes and a big lightning ignites.
There is reportedly modern equipment that can detect where lightning would hit within a few seconds. But this gadget is rare and, if available, allows too little time for a corresponding human reaction. Lightning strikes occur in a very quick flash that there is practically no way to tell whether the next one is going to hit you.
But lightning, while commonly fearsome, has its good side too. It’s possible that human beings discovered fire from some early lightning-sparked blazes. Lightning may also help create ozone, which is our protection from the ultraviolet rays of the sun. And, fierce flashes of lightning during a thunderstorm contribute to the creation of fixed nitrogen, a natural fertilizing substance for plants when carried to the ground by rain.
Throughout time, lightning has amazed and bewildered humankind. The ancient Greeks are said to have thought of it as a manifestation of the god Zeus. To this day, there have been continuing researches to further unravel the mystery surrounding these great sparks in the sky. There is already considerable progress in the study, but experts admit that full explanation of the phenomenon may never be reached.
On the whole, there is just no way to completely eliminate the risk of a person being hit by lightning. So far, experts can only suggest that we take shelter in a big building or any substantial structure in case of a lightning flurry. Since lightning may strike even if it’s not raining, it is advisable to take shelter at the first sound of thunder or if the sky suddenly darkens.
If you can’t help being outdoors when the weather turns bad, it is advisable to keep away from isolated, tall trees or posts. Get out of open places. Stay clear of swamps or potholes of water.
If you’re in a group, avoid clustering together. Electrical current can pass from one person to another even if they’re not touching. Also stay clear of metal objects, especially standing poles and fences, since they are good conductors.
Lightning dancing across the sky is a great sight to be enjoyed and marveled at — but only from a safe distance. While the probability of a lightning strike may seem remote, it is very real nonetheless. Thus, it is wise to always take precautions.
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