Watch: Why is it not safe to stay under trees during thunderstorms?
Lightning struck four horticulture staffers at Vatika Signature Villas in Gurugram Sector 82 in Haryana. A video was from 5th March 2021. The incident going viral on social media, shows the four men standing under a tree when a flash of lightning jolts them. All for survived as they have been rushed to the private hospital in time and treated their burns.
WARNING:
A typical lightning flash is about 300 million Volts and about 30,000 amps. In comparison, household current is 120 Volts and 15 Amps.
When lightning strikes
and reaches the nervous system, it can directly damage nerve cells, cause temporary paralysis and cause arteries and vessels in the brain to burst. Electricity from lightning can also cause extreme damage to the cardiovascular system, the system that includes the heart and blood vessels.
Most of cases lightning strikes the tree due to its moist tissues often sitting just below the outer layer or bark the sap and moisture inside a tree make it a better conductor than the surrounding air. This is why some lightning strikes result in the bark of a tree appearing to explode in large chunks. If the outer layer of bark is soaked from heavy rainfall, the lightning may travel along the outside of the tree to the ground.
If you’re outside, the best way to avoid being struck by lightning is to head indoors. The probability of being struck increases the longer you spend outside. Remember the phrase: “When thunder roars go indoors!“
