An interesting quote from
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/Flagstaff/science/lightnin.htm

" If your hair stands on end, or you feel a tingling sensation in
your skin, you are about to be struck by lightning. Immediately crouch near
the ground. Do not lie flat since that would increase the amount of
electrical current your body will receive if lightning were to strike close
to you. "

Is this really true? how long does that tingling sensation last before
you're actually struck?
Is it long enough to give you time to think and decide and react?


Brendan

"Brendan DJ Murphy" wrote in message
...
An interesting quote from
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/Flagstaff/science/lightnin.htm

" If your hair stands on end, or you feel a tingling sensation in
your skin, you are about to be struck by lightning. Immediately crouch
near
the ground. Do not lie flat since that would increase the amount of
electrical current your body will receive if lightning were to strike
close
to you. "

Is this really true? how long does that tingling sensation last before
you're actually struck?
Is it long enough to give you time to think and decide and react?


Brendan


I've been struck 3 times and can confirm the hair standing bit - was playing
5 a side football and wondered why everyone stopped and looked at me - my
hair was standing on end, and as this was after the 3 strikes I knew what
was likely to happen, I ran like hell and told everone else to do the same
and about 15 secs after the court was struck

I've decided someone doesn't like me - as well as actually being struck, I
have been under the wing of an aircraft that was struck itself (and yes,
believe it or not, it was a BAC Lightning fighter) and a chimney above where
the head of my bed used to rest was struck as well. Needless to say I don't
stay outside in storms too often any more!

-- Chris

"Brendan DJ Murphy" wrote in message
...
An interesting quote from
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/Flagstaff/science/lightnin.htm

" If your hair stands on end, or you feel a tingling sensation in
your skin, you are about to be struck by lightning. Immediately crouch
near
the ground. Do not lie flat since that would increase the amount of
electrical current your body will receive if lightning were to strike
close
to you. "

Is this really true? how long does that tingling sensation last before
you're actually struck?
Is it long enough to give you time to think and decide and react?

Brendan


Was hit by a side flash from a fence when I used to observe at Wattisham.
The lightning hit the fence then it is thought a side flash lept up my arm
as I was closing the gate. Wouldn't have normally been out there but it was
heaving it down and needed to empty the rain gauge at spot on 06Z. I
suffered being knocked to the ground, came around a few seconds later in a
deep puddle (great) and also had a large burn from my wrost to my armpit
that took several weeks to heal.

I had no warning at all, other than the strikes hitting the airfield once a
second for the past 10 minutes

--

Once got caught while nearly at the top of Helvellyn in a thunderstorm in
winter. Three seperate occasions that time it would seem to go a little
quiet, there would be the rising of hair etc. then it would suddenly stop
and a split second later a strike would come down somewhere else on the
mountain. From the beginging of sensation to when the strike came down I
would say would be approx. 10 seconds.

On one of those occasions both crampons and my ice axe and all the gear
around my waist was buzzing like a swarm of angry wasps. On another of the
occasions one of my party swore they saw a leader head up into the cloud
from a rock outcropping. Retiring back down to a pub in Grasmere seemed to
be the sensible thing to do.

--

The crouching thing is quite important. Standing up makes you a "sharper"
target. Crouching gets you closeer to the ground, hence lesser target.

But if you stand with you legs apart, when a strike hits the ground close to
you the potential difference (PD) between your left leg and you right leg
will be much bigger than if you have your legs together. Enough maybe for
the spreading out ground strike to travel up one leg and down another. Same
lying down, the PD between head and feet, or chest and feet would be larger
and that is worse as the strike may travel in through your chest and out
thorough your feet, i.e. past your heart = not good.

Cows, horses, sheep etc. are all at risk because they cannot put all their
legs together, nor can they climb into a car for protection

Cheers

Ian

I get that sensation everytime I get a credit card statement! lol

"Brendan DJ Murphy" wrote in message
...
An interesting quote from
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/Flagstaff/science/lightnin.htm

" If your hair stands on end, or you feel a tingling sensation in
your skin, you are about to be struck by lightning. Immediately crouch
near
the ground. Do not lie flat since that would increase the amount of
electrical current your body will receive if lightning were to strike
close
to you. "

Is this really true? how long does that tingling sensation last before
you're actually struck?
Is it long enough to give you time to think and decide and react?


Brendan

On Fri, 27 Aug 2004 13:05:39 +0000 (UTC), "Brendan DJ Murphy"
wrote:

An interesting quote from
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/Flagstaff/science/lightnin.htm

" If your hair stands on end, or you feel a tingling sensation in
your skin, you are about to be struck by lightning.

Or, you have just *been* struck by lightning.


--
Paul

"Paul C" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 27 Aug 2004 13:05:39 +0000 (UTC), "Brendan DJ Murphy"
wrote:

An interesting quote from
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/Flagstaff/science/lightnin.htm

" If your hair stands on end, or you feel a tingling sensation in
your skin, you are about to be struck by lightning.

Or, you have just *been* struck by lightning.


--
Paul



When I was 17 or 18 I was walking along Spurn Point, if anyone knows the
area they'll probably agree with me that anything taller than 4ft high is
likely to be a target should lightening strike.

Anyway a storm was brewing in the Humber Estuary, being in the middle of
nowhere a friend and myself decided that we would have to continue walking
to get to my car. We were both soaked and all of a sudden my hair stood on
end and I felt terrified - I am an asthmatic and this started an attack off,
unable to breathe properly I just went down on the ground onto my knees, my
mate also bent down to check if I was OK. Probably 10 seconds later an
incredible flash then a bang - lightening had hit the ground (seemed about
50-100ft away). Within a few minutes of this a Coastguard landrover stopped
on the road and took us both back to my car. Looking back on it I probably
did the correct thing, but I am certain God was looking out for me that day.

On Fri, 27 Aug 2004 13:05:39 +0000 (UTC), Brendan DJ Murphy wrote:

"If your hair stands on end, or you feel a tingling sensation in
your skin, you are about to be struck by lightning. Immediately
crouch near the ground. Do not lie flat since that would increase
the amount of electrical current your body will receive if lightning
were to strike close to you."

Is this really true?

The not lying down makes sense. There are many documented cases of
livestock being found dead in a field after nearby strikes. The ground
currents near a strike are such that the animals get enough potential
difference between their feet to recieve a fatal shock.

Crouching with your head tucked between your knees, shoulders touching
your knees and your feet flat on the ground is supposed to be "best".
The theory being that you don't get struck on the head and fry your
brain and the charge goes from shoulder to knees and down to your feet
by passing your torso and the organs it contains. In theory, I don't
want to test it. B-)

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

On Sat, 28 Aug 2004 00:50:18 +0100 (BST), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:


Crouching with your head tucked between your knees, shoulders touching
your knees and your feet flat on the ground is supposed to be "best".

Kissing your arse goodbye perhaps?

(Sorry, I couldn't resist it)

Peter Harris
--
Earn cash in your spare time, blackmail your friends!

On Sat, 28 Aug 2004 12:09:44 +0100, Peter Harris wrote:

Crouching with your head tucked between your knees, shoulders
touching your knees and your feet flat on the ground is supposed to
be "best".

Kissing your arse goodbye perhaps?

(Sorry, I couldn't resist it)

I thought I'd leave it to someone else to mention. B-)

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 09:37:36 +0000 (GMT), Rodney Blackall wrote:

Do not lie flat since that would increase the amount of
electrical current your body will receive if lightning
were to strike close to you."

[Snip]

If struck the main current will follow the best conducting path to
ground.

And when it's in the ground it doesn't just magically disappear there
are very high ground currents and potential differences, this is the
problem with lying down or large quadrupeds. You/they get enough
potential difference between different parts of the body to receive a
fatal shock.

Wet is better than dry and exposed metal is the best. Choose where
you have zips with care!

But as you have just said 'To paraphrase Ogden Nash "In the
world of lightning there are no rules."'

First aid for cardiac arrest and/or artificial respiration will
normally revive an apparently dead victim if applied promptly.

Best to check that the heart is actually stopped before using cardiac
massage, it's a good way to kill someone otherwise... Though I agree
if you or someone else has the knowledge and skills they should be
used.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail