Yn erthygl , sgrifennodd
JPG :
Although lightning will often go for high points, this is not always
the case and the ground (and people) can be struck, even though there
are higher spots around in the vicinity.

Just over a month ago I was in the Nordkapp centre in Norway, when a
storm brewed up and the building had a direct hit. I remember saying
"YESS!" in my excitement - as the fire alarms were activated.

Unfortunately the people who programmed the fire alarm software did not
take account of such an eventuality, and the voice over the loudspeaker
system kept saying "please leave the building immediately".

Fortunately, everyone except the staff realised that they were safer
inside than outside on an exposed plateau. Presumably the staff would
have been breaking all the rules if they'd officially told us we could
stay inside, but at least they didn't actually force us to go out.

It took them 30 minutes or so to realise the obvious, that the lightning
had triggered the alarms and not a fire. Apparently they hadn't had a
direct hit for 15 years.

Adrian
--
Adrian Shaw ais@
Adran Cyfrifiadureg, Prifysgol Cymru, aber.
Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Cymru ac.
http://users.aber.ac.uk/ais uk