SCIENCE: LIGHTNING

A lightning bolt is 50,000 times hotter than the sun's surface. Astronomers have discovered that lightning strikes more powerful than any on Earth occur on other planets--namely, Saturn and Uranus. Lightning safety tip: A charge from a single lightning strike can carry 100 million to 1 billion volts and heat the surrounding air to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightning is the second leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S., ahead of hurricanes and tornadoes. If you cannot get indoors when a thunderstorm is in the area avoid high places or trees, open gazebos, open fields, metal buildings, swimming pools and other bodies of water, bleachers, metal fences, flag poles, light poles, golf carts, convertibles, etc. and carrying an umbrella--especially a metal one, which can double as a lightning rod in a thunderstorm. Remember: if you can see lightning or hear thunder you're at risk of being struck by lightning, even when the storm is not directly overhead. Lightning can strike miles away from the storm. While indoors avoid using a land line phone, showering, bathing, dish washing and touching metal window and door frames, wiring and plumbing. [Source: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories/images/lightningsafety.pdf, et al]