{"id":12125,"date":"2024-07-02T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-02T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/?p=12125"},"modified":"2024-06-21T05:38:35","modified_gmt":"2024-06-21T05:38:35","slug":"how-to-stay-safe-during-lightning-storms-summer-is-the-highest-risk-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/how-to-stay-safe-during-lightning-storms-summer-is-the-highest-risk-season\/","title":{"rendered":"How to stay safe during lightning storms \u2013 summer is the\u00a0highest-risk\u00a0season"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Baseball fans clear the stands as lightning strikes near the Colorado Rockies\u2019 stadium in 2019.\n Julio Aguilar\/Getty Images<\/a><\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n\n Chris Vagasky<\/a>, University of Wisconsin-Madison<\/a><\/em><\/span>\n\n

As the weather warms, people spend more time outdoors, going to barbecues, beaches and ballgames<\/a>. But summer isn\u2019t just the season of baseball and outdoor festivals \u2013 it\u2019s also lightning season. <\/p>\n\n

Each year in the United States, lightning strikes around 37 million times<\/a>. It kills 21 people<\/a> a year in the U.S. on average.<\/p>\n\n

For as often as lightning occurs \u2013 there are only a few days each year nationwide without lightning<\/a> \u2013 there are still a lot of misunderstandings about nature\u2019s largest spark. Because of this, a lot of people take unnecessary risks when thunderstorms are nearby.<\/p>\n\n

I am a meteorologist who studies lightning and lightning safety, and a member of the National Lightning Safety Council<\/a>. Here are some fast facts to keep your family and friends safe this summer:<\/p>\n\n

What is lightning, and where does it come from?<\/h2>\n\n

Lightning is a giant electric spark in the atmosphere and is classified based on whether it hits the ground or not. <\/p>\n\n

In-cloud lightning<\/a> is any lightning that doesn\u2019t hit ground, while cloud-to-ground \u2013 or, less commonly, ground-to-cloud \u2013 is any lightning that hits an object on the ground. Cloud-to-ground lightning accounts for only 10% to 50% of the lightning in a thunderstorm, but it can cause damage, including fires, injuries and fatalities, so it is important to know where it is striking.<\/p>\n\n

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\n Lightning strikes One World Trade Center in New York City and carries through clouds over the Hudson River in April 2023.<\/span>\n Gary Hershorn\/Getty Images<\/a><\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n\n

Lightning occurs when rain, ice crystals and a type of hail called graupel collide in a thunderstorm cloud<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

When these precipitation particles collide, they exchange electrons, which creates an electric charge in the cloud. Because most of the electric charge exists in the clouds, most lightning happens in the clouds. When the electric charge in the cloud is strong, it can cause an opposite charge to build up on the ground, making cloud-to-ground lightning possible. Exactly what initiates a strike is still an open question.<\/p>\n\n

When and where does lightning happen?<\/h2>\n\n

Lightning can happen any time the conditions for thunderstorms \u2013 moisture, atmospheric instability<\/a>, and a way for air to rise \u2013 are present. <\/p>\n\n

There is a seasonality to lightning: Most lightning in the United States strikes in June, July or August. In just those three months, more than 60% of the year\u2019s lightning typically occurs. Lightning is least common in winter, but it can still happen. About 2% of yearly lightning occurs during winter.<\/p>\n\n