Staying safe in a thunderstorm
One rule does most of the work: when thunder roars, go indoors. Here’s the rest, from the Met Office and the US National Weather Service.
When thunder roars, go indoors! National Weather Service: Lightning safety overview See a flash? Dash inside! National Weather Service: Lightning safety
When you hear thunder, you are already within range of where the next ground flash may occur. Met Office: Stay safe in 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
There is no safe place outside when thunderstorms are in the area. National Weather Service: Lightning safety overview
Where is safe?
Safe shelter is a substantial building with electricity or plumbing, or an enclosed, metal-topped vehicle with the windows up. National Weather Service: Lightning safety tips
A hard-topped metal car with the windows closed protects the people inside. National Weather Service: Lightning and cars In a car, the frame acts as a conductive Faraday cage. Soft-top convertibles are the most at risk. Met Office: Stay safe in thunder and lightning
Where isn’t?
Rain shelters, small sheds and open vehicles are not safe. National Weather Service: Lightning safety overview Picnic shelters, dugouts and small buildings without plumbing or electricity are not safe. National Weather Service: Indoor lightning safety
Tents are not safe places in a thunderstorm. National Weather Service: Outdoor lightning safety Protect your pets: dog houses are not safe shelters. National Weather Service: Indoor lightning safety
Being underneath a tree is the second leading cause of lightning casualties. National Weather Service: Lightning myths Never shelter under an isolated tree, and never use a cliff or rocky overhang for shelter. National Weather Service: Lightning safety tips
The 30-minute rule
Stay in a safe shelter for at least 30 minutes after you hear the last sound of thunder. National Weather Service: Lightning safety tips
Indoors
Indoors, don’t wash your hands, take a shower or wash dishes during a thunderstorm. National Weather Service: Indoor lightning safety
Indoors, stay away from windows and doors, and don’t lie on concrete floors. National Weather Service: Lightning safety tips Don’t lie on a garage floor during a storm. National Weather Service: Lightning safety overview
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
Lightning can cause power surges: before the storm, unplug non-essential appliances if you don’t use a surge protector. Met Office: Stay safe in thunder and lightning You can use remote controls safely. National Weather Service: Indoor lightning safety
If you’re caught outside
If you’re outside, avoid water, and avoid golf, rod fishing or boating on a lake. Met Office: Stay safe in thunder and lightning
Never lie flat on the ground. National Weather Service: Lightning safety tips Myth: lying flat is safer. Fact: lying flat increases your chance of being affected by deadly ground current. National Weather Service: Lightning myths
The Met Office says that if you’re caught in the open it may be advisable to squat close to the ground, and not to lie down. Met Office: Stay safe in thunder and lightning The National Weather Service says crouching doesn’t make you any safer outdoors: there is no safe place outside. National Weather Service: Lightning myths NOAA JetStream: “We don’t recommend the crouch.” NOAA JetStream: Lightning FAQ The two services disagree on crouching, but agree on what matters: don’t get caught outside, and get to a safe building or car.
At the beach, the match or the campsite
At the beach: go to your car! Don’t shelter under beach picnic shelters. National Weather Service: Outdoor lightning safety
At a sports match: get everyone into vehicles or a safe building. Don’t stay in the dugouts: they aren’t safe during lightning. National Weather Service: Outdoor lightning safety
Camping: go to your vehicle! The tent and picnic shelter are not safe places. National Weather Service: Outdoor lightning safety
How people get hurt
- Direct strike: the person becomes part of the main lightning channel. It’s not as common as the other ways people are struck. National Weather Service: How people are struck by lightning
- Side flash: lightning jumps from a taller object to a person nearby, often within a foot or two. National Weather Service: How people are struck by lightning
- Ground current: the energy spreads out along the ground. This causes the most lightning deaths and injuries. National Weather Service: How people are struck by lightning
- Conduction: metal doesn’t attract lightning, but it gives the current a path, through metal wires, plumbing or metal surfaces. National Weather Service: How people are struck by lightning
- Streamers: these reach up from the ground as the lightning leader comes down. People caught in streamers are at risk of being killed or injured. National Weather Service: How people are struck by lightning
A lightning bolt can be fatal up to 100 feet (about 30 m) from where it strikes. NOAA JetStream: Lightning FAQ
Most people struck by lightning each year are in rain-free areas, miles from the thunderstorm. NOAA JetStream: Lightning safety
If someone is struck
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 rods
Lightning rods don’t stop lightning striking a building. They intercept the strike and give it a safe path to the ground. National Weather Service: Lightning rods
Test yourself: Storm Safety Dash →
This page is general information, not a warning service. For warnings where you live, check the Met Office or your national weather service.
Next: types of lightning →