Questions people actually ask

Lightning is a giant spark of electricity in the atmosphere, or between the atmosphere and the ground. National Weather Service: Lightning science overview Lightning is a huge electrical discharge that flows between clouds, from a cloud to the air, or from a cloud to the ground. Met Office: Thunder and lightning

Lightning heats the air to up to 30,000 °C almost instantly: five times hotter than the surface of the Sun. Met Office: Thunder and lightning

A lightning bolt is only about 2–3 cm wide, but on average about 2–3 miles long. Met Office: Thunder and lightning

Thunder is the acoustic shock wave caused by the extreme heat of a lightning flash. NOAA JetStream: The sound of thunder The air in the lightning channel heats so fast that it expands explosively, and that makes the sound. NOAA JetStream: The sound of thunder

Count the seconds from the flash to the thunder. Divide by five for the distance in miles, or by three for kilometres. Met Office: Thunder and lightning If you count 15 seconds before you hear the thunder, the lightning is 3 miles (5 km) away. NOAA JetStream: Lightning safety

The lightning and the thunder clap happen at the same time. You see the flash first because light is far faster than sound. Met Office: Thunder and lightning

Lightning can strike as far as 10 miles from the centre of a storm. Met Office: Stay safe in thunder and lightning Myth: if it isn’t raining, you’re safe. Fact: “bolts from the blue” can strike 10–15 miles from the thunderstorm. National Weather Service: Lightning myths

Stay in a safe shelter for at least 30 minutes after you hear the last sound of thunder. National Weather Service: Lightning safety tips

Mobile phones and cordless phones are safe to use indoors. National Weather Service: Lightning safety overview Telephone lines can conduct electricity, so try to avoid using a landline phone unless it’s an emergency. Met Office: Stay safe in thunder and lightning

A hard-topped metal car with the windows closed protects the people inside. National Weather Service: Lightning and cars Do a car’s rubber tyres protect you if you’re outside, leaning on it? No! It’s the hard metal roof and sides that protect people inside. National Weather Service: Lightning and cars

Indoors, don’t wash your hands, take a shower or wash dishes during a thunderstorm. National Weather Service: Indoor lightning safety

Myth: lightning never strikes the same place twice. Fact: the Empire State Building is hit an average of 23 times a year. National Weather Service: Lightning myths · checked 27 Oct 2026

Lightning victims do not carry an electrical charge and are safe to touch. National Weather Service: Lightning safety overview If someone is struck, get help fast: immediate medical attention, including calling the emergency services, starting CPR and using a defibrillator (AED), may be critically important. National Weather Service: How people are struck by lightning

Lightning hits somewhere on Earth’s surface about 44 times every second: nearly 1.4 billion strikes a year. Met Office: Thunder and lightning · checked 27 Oct 2026

In the UK, thunderstorms are most common over the East Midlands and the south-east. Met Office: Thunder and lightning In the UK, thunderstorms can happen at any time of year, but the most severe usually come in summer. Met Office: Thunder and lightning