Lightning stroke is initiated very high in thunderstorm clouds. Objects on the ground have very little influence on its travelling path, until the stroke comes to a distance very close to the ground. It is true that taller object is more susceptible to lightning because of shorter air gap between the lightning stroke and the object.
Lightning usually strikes the tallest object. It makes sense that the tallest object is most likely to produce upward streamers to connect with the downward lightning leader. What type of electricity is lightning? Lightning is an electrostatic discharge accompanied by the emission of visible light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation.
By definition, the “highest point” would be the point nearest the source of the lightning, in the cloud. Lightning doesn’t always strike the highest point, nonetheless. It strikes the nearest point along the path (or paths) of least resistance.
Why doesn’t lightning always strike the tallest point on a chimney?
Simply because Lightning doesn’t always strike the tallest point. Lightning is actually looking for the path of least resistance. A desirable path to ground. Sometimes there is a more desirable path for the lightning to follow that’s recessed lower than a tall chimney or a cupola.
Does lightning always strike the tallest object?
Lightning Myths: Lightning always strikes the tallest object. TRUTH: Lightning can strike just about anywhere! The following is a zoomed-in area of a photo taken in Greentree, Pennsylvania of a cloud-to-ground lightning strike only 230 feet away: The lightning hit the ground only 50 feet away from the metal light pole on the left.
Why do lightning strikes occur at the highest point of the clouds?
It is a phenomenon of physics. As voltage builds up in clouds, all paths to ground are possible. The “highest” point is closest to nearby clouds and therefore the shortest distance from cloud to ground potential. Therefore it is the most likely point to be struck, all else being somewhat equal.
Where is the point of a lightning strike?
We have seen first-hand, houses struck where for a variety of reasons, the lower part of building was the point of the strike. I recall years ago a house in Torrington, CT where lightning actually struck below the roof line because that was where the electrical service fed into the house!
Where are the most people struck by lightning?
Regional, seasonal, and temporal differences affect the risk of lightning injury. For instance, most lightning strikes occur in the summer months, especially July, during the afternoon and evening. Southeastern states are particularly at risk, with Texas and Florida having the largest number of lightning-related deaths.
While we were researching we ran into the question “Where on Earth does lightning strike most often?”.
This is what my research found. the most lightning-struck location in the world Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela is the place on Earth that receives the most lightning strikes. Massive thunderstorms occur on 140-160 nights per year with an average of 28 lightning strikes per minute lasting up to 10 hours at a time.
Where does Lightning happen the most in the US?
Cities, ranked by the average number of thunderstorm days per year: Fort Myers, Florida: 88.0 days. Tampa, Florida: 82.7 days. Tallahassee, Florida: 82.5 days. Orlando, Florida: 81.8 days. West Palm Beach, Florida: 76.8 days. Lake Charles, Louisiana: 75.8 days. Mobile, Alabama: 75.5 days. Daytona Beach, Florida: 73.4 days. Miami, Florida: 72.3 days. Baton Rouge, Louisiana: 72.0 days, and more items.
– Golf courses are dangerous places to be during lightning storms. Not only is it a bad idea to be swinging metal or graphite clubs while lightning is active in the area, but evidence indicates that underground water pipes attract electrical coruscations.
What factors affect whether lightning strikes an object?
Height, pointy shape and isolation are the dominant factors in whether lightning will strike an object (including you). However, touching or being near metal objects, such as a fence, can be unsafe when thunderstorms are nearby.