Khoa họcThường thức

Should you shower during a thunderstorm?

When bathing indoors, people cannot be directly struck by lightning, but there is still a risk of being struck through water pipes.





Lightning strikes One World Trade Center, New York City, on July 24, 2020.  Photo: John Angelillo/UPI

Lightning strikes One World Trade Center, New York City, on July 24, 2020. Photo: John Angelillo/UPI

Thunderstorms occur when the air is unstable. Lightning is an electrical spark that occurs between the ground, clouds, and air, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Hurricane Laboratory. When lightning begins to form, air acts as an insulator between the positive and negative charges in the cloud, between the cloud and the ground.

When opposite charges build up, the air insulation breaks down and a rapid discharge, also known as lightning, occurs. The flash of light that humans see in the sky during thunderstorms is nature’s solution to temporarily balance the charged regions of the air. This cycle will continue until the charges dissipate.

Lightning is the cause of loud thunder. The energy from lightning heats the air to about 27,700 degrees Celsius, causing the air to explode outward. The pressure drops rapidly and produces the sound of thunder.

If lightning is about to strike, a channel will gradually develop towards the ground. When it is less than 100 meters above the ground, tall objects such as trees and buildings will start to spark sparks to reach the channel. When the spark connects to the down channel, a strong current flows down the object that created the spark.

Lightning can cause a variety of injuries with varying degrees of mortality, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 10% of people who are struck by lightning will die, often from a heart attack.

In many cases, lightning strikes directly lead to death. Other forms are less fatal, such as contact lightning (the victim touches the object being struck by the lightning), secondary lightning (lightning that is reflected from an object and hits the victim) and earth currents ( lightning strikes the nearby ground and the current travels from the site of the strike, through the ground to the victim). Thunder can also cause consequences such as a punctured eardrum or injury if the victim falls.

When bathing indoors, the bather will not be directly struck by lightning. The biggest concern is the risk of direct lightning strikes on the home, as the piping and metal can act as a conduit for electricity. Lightning usually follows the path of least resistance, usually through wires and conduit systems. Therefore, it can travel through pipes and attack bathers.

In addition to metal as a conduit, water can also carry an electric current. This means, if a person is showering or bathing, electricity can pass through the pipes into the water and be dangerous.

The CDC advises people to stay away from showers and plumbing during thunderstorms. Experts advise, if you hear thunder, you are close enough for lightning to reach your location, because lightning can strike from 4.8 – 16 km away from a thunderstorm. So just to be on the safe side, you can shower about 30 minutes after you heard the last thunder.

People showering during a thunderstorm won’t always be struck by lightning, but it can. According to Ron Holle, a meteorologist who used to work at NOAA, every year 10-20 people in the US are struck by lightning while using appliances, faucets or taking a bath during a thunderstorm.

Thu Thao (Follow IFL Science)

You are reading the article Should you shower during a thunderstorm?
at Blogtuan.info – Source: vnexpress.net – Read the original article here

Back to top button