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Thunder is the sound caused by a nearby flash of lightning and can be heard for a distance of only about 10 miles from the lightning strike. The sound of thunder should serve as a warning to anyone outside that they are within striking distance of the storm and need to get to a safe place immediately!
Thunder is created when lightning passes through the air. The lightning discharge heats the air rapidly and causes it to expand. The temperature of the air in the lightning channel may reach as high as 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun. Immediately after the flash, the air cools and contracts quickly. This rapid expansion and contraction creates the sound wave that we hear as thunder.
Although a lightning discharge usually strikes just one spot on the ground, it travels many miles through the air. When you listen to thunder, you'll first hear the thunder created by that portion of the lightning channel that is nearest you. As you continue to listen, you'll hear the sound created from the portions of the channel farther and farther away. Typically, a sharp crack or click will indicate that the lightning channel passed nearby. If the thunder sounds more like a rumble, the lightning was at least several miles away. The loud boom that you sometimes hear is created by the main lightning channel as it reaches the ground.
Since you see lightning immediately and it takes the sound of thunder about 5 seconds to travel a mile, you can calculate the distance between you and the lightning. If you count the number of seconds between the flash of lightning and the sound of thunder, and then divide by 5, you'll get the distance in miles to the lightning: 5 seconds = 1 mile, 15 seconds = 3 miles, 0 seconds = very close.
Keep in mind that you should be in a safe place while counting. Remember, if you can hear thunder, chances are that you're within striking distance of the storm. You don't want to get struck by the next flash of lightning.
US Dept of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Weather Service
Safety
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Silver Spring, MD 20910
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The other day I got caught out and found myself running during a thunderstorm. One minute I was happily jogging around town and the next, the sky was dark and looming as it growled and spat at me. I could hear the loud rumbles in the distance and then suddenly there would be a clack of lightning which lit the sky. Believe me I was terrified.
My instinct was to get home as quickly as possible and to seek shelter as I went. Because I was on the edge of town it was a case of simply running from one shelter to the next. So first I found myself under a MacDonald's awning, then an abandoned shop entrance followed by a school bus shelter and then an avenue of big trees. The final part was me legging it as fast as I could, running from tree to tree.
I made it home safely but I was lucky. I had committed several errors and could have put my life in danger. The odds of getting struck by lightning are 1 in 13,500 but obviously the people with the highest risk are those that spend activity time outside and this includes runners. As a side note, Fishing is the most common outdoor activity for lightning deaths.
Lightning can be described as a giant spark of electricity in the atmosphere between either the clouds, the air, or the ground. Lightning can occur inside one cloud or pass from cloud to another but the most dangerous form of lightning is from cloud to ground.
Thunder is the noise that lightning makes. Lightning heats the air around it to excessive temperatures, thus causing the air to expand explosively fast. This rapide expansion then creates a shock wave which results in the booming sound of thunder.
Sound travels at about 1 mile for every 5 seconds. Count the seconds between the flash of lightning and the boom of thunder. If the time is 30 seconds then the lightning is 6 miles away. The rule of thumb is to seek shelter immediately if the seconds between the lightning and thunder is less than 30. Equally you should stay indoors until 30 minutes after the last boom of thunder. This is known as the 30/30 rule.
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If you see lightning, count the number of seconds until you hear thunder. Divide the number of seconds by five to get the distance in miles (divide by 3 for kilometers) to the lightning strike or bolt.
"Positive" lightning bolts come from the upper parts of thunderstorms, striking up to several miles away. If you hear thunder, then lightning is near. There is NO SAFE PLACE OUTSIDE. Follow these safety rules:
Each year in the United States, lightning kills 20-30 people on average and injures 100s more. Tornadoes, hail, and wind gusts get the most attention, but only lightning can strike outside the storm itself. It is the first thunderstorm hazard to arrive and the last to leave.
Because lightning is one of the most capricious and unpredictable characteristics of a thunderstorm, no one can guarantee an individual or group absolute protection from it. However, knowing and following proven lightning safety guidelines can greatly reduce the risk of injury or death. Remember, YOU are ultimately responsible for your personal safety and should take appropriate action when threatened by lightning.
If lightning strikes the building, the plumbing and wiring will conduct the electricity more efficiently than a human body. If no buildings are available, then an enclosed metal vehicle such as an automobile, van, or school bus makes a decent alternative.
Not all types of buildings or vehicles are safe during thunderstorms. Buildings which are NOT SAFE (even if they are "grounded") have exposed openings. These include beach shacks, metal sheds, picnic shelters/pavilions, carports, and baseball dugouts. Porches are dangerous as well.
Convertible vehicles offer no safety from lightning, even if the top is "up". Other vehicles which are NOT SAFE during lightning storms are those which have open cabs, such as golf carts, tractors, and construction equipment.
Lightning can travel great distances through power lines, especially in rural areas. Do not use electrical appliances, ESPECIALLY corded telephones, unless it is an emergency (cell phones are safe to use, as are laptops that are not plugged in).
A lightning safety plan should be an integral part of the planning process for any outdoor event. Do not wait for storm clouds to develop before considering what to do should lightning threaten! An effective plan begins LONG before any lightning threat is realized. You can't control the weather, so you have to work around it!
Detailed weather forecasts are accurate only out to seven days at best, but outdoor events are often planned many months in advance. Because of this limitation, every outdoor event coordinator should consider the possibility of lightning, especially if the event is scheduled during the late spring to early autumn months.
Studies have shown that most people struck by lightning are struck not at the height of a thunderstorm but before and after the storm has peaked. Most people are unaware of how far lightning can strike from its parent thunderstorm. Lightning can strike more than 10 miles away from the location of rainfall.
Therefore, if you can hear thunder, that IS YOUR WARNING that you are within striking distance. Seek safe shelter immediately. Remember these lightning safety rules: When thunder roars, go indoors and stay there until 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder. For those who are hearing impaired, remember See a Flash, Dash Inside. DO NOT wait for the rain to start before seeking shelter, and do not leave the shelter just because the rain has ended.
With common sense, you can greatly increase your safety and the safety of those around you. At the first clap of thunder, go to a large building or fully enclosed vehicle and wait 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder before you go back outside.
To minimize your personal risk of being struck by lightning when outside, Plan Ahead! Make sure you get the latest weather forecast at weather.gov before going out, and always know where safe shelter is if thunderstorms threaten.
Your behavior when thunderstorms are in the area determines your personal risk of being struck by lightning. The best way for you to protect yourself from lightning is to avoid the threat. You simply don't want to be caught outside in a storm.
Utilize tools like smartphones with weather apps and NWS local radar to track the weather around you, especially if you will be away from sturdy shelter (such as while boating, camping, etc.). Portable NOAA Weather Radios and AM/FM Radio can also be utilized. If the forecast changes on weather.gov or you notice storms beginning to develop around you, move towards shelter immediately; do not wait for the rain to begin or for the first instance of thunder. If the sky looks threatening or if you hear thunder, get inside a safe place immediately.
Designate one of the members to monitor the weather via their smartphone using weather.gov, NWS Doppler radar, and other mobile weather apps so you will always have the latest forecast. Portable NOAA Weather Radios and AM/FM Radio can also be utilized. If thunderstorms are expected and you go ahead with your planned outdoor activity, have a lightning safety plan in place. Upon arriving on-site, determine how far away your shelter is in case lightning threatens. Remember to account for the time it will take to get to your safe location.
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