Lightning

Hello everyone, welcome to my video blog. Today I'm going to talk about lightning, a natural phenomenon that can be both beautiful and dangerous. 

Lightning is an electrical discharge that occurs when a region of a cloud acquires an excess electrical charge, either positive or negative, that is sufficient to break down the resistance of air. 

Lightning can heat the air up to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which is five times hotter than the sun's surface. Lightning causes thunder, a sound from the shock wave that develops as gases in the vicinity of the discharge experience a sudden increase in pressure.

Lightning can affect humans and nature in different ways. If you are struck by lightning, you may suffer from burns, rupturing of the eardrum, eye damage, cardiac arrest, and respiratory arrest. 

Lightning can also damage vital organs such as the heart and brain, and cause long-term complications such as nerve damage, hearing loss, vertigo, and psychological trauma. 

Lightning can also cause damage to trees, buildings, and other objects by setting them on fire or exploding them due to the high pressure and heat.

So how can you help from lightning? The best way to avoid being struck by lightning is to stay indoors during a thunderstorm and follow some safety tips. Here are some of them:

Avoid water. Do NOT bathe, shower, wash dishes, or have any other contact with water during a thunderstorm because lightning can travel through a building’s plumbing.

Don’t touch electronic equipment. Do NOT use anything connected to an electrical outlet, such as computers, laptops, game systems, washers, dryers, or stoves. Lightning can travel through electrical systems and cause power surges.

Avoid windows, doors, porches, and concrete. Stay away from windows and doors, and stay off porches. Do NOT lie on concrete floors or lean on concrete walls during a thunderstorm. Lightning can travel through any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring.

Don’t use corded phones. Corded phones are NOT safe to use during a thunderstorm. Do NOT use them. However, it is safe to use cordless or cellular phones during a storm⁶.

If you are caught outside with no safe shelter nearby, here are some actions that might reduce your risk of being struck by lightning:

Crouch down and put your head between your knees. The goal is to get close to the ground without actually touching the ground with more than your feet. Keep your backside and hands off the ground, and stick your head between your knees. Don’t lie flat on the ground.

Cover your ears to limit potential hearing damage. The sound of thunder can be loud enough to cause permanent hearing damage if you are close to a lightning strike. You may still experience hearing damage even if you put your hands over your ears, but it’s likely to be less severe.

Balance on the balls of your feet and touch your heels together. Reduce your surface contact with the ground by lifting up on the balls of your feet. 

If you also touch your heels together, it’s possible the lightning that strikes the ground will come up one foot, cross over to the other, and move back down into the ground, thereby reducing its impact on the rest of your body.

I hope this information was helpful for you and your viewers. Remember to always check the weather forecast before going outside and seek shelter when you hear thunder. Stay safe and thanks for watching!