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Topic: If you were hit by lightning would you die (Read 4389 times) previous topic - next topic
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If you were hit by lightning would you die

Yeah, for those of you in the UK who witnessed the apocolyptic thunder & lightning storms yesterday, I was out doing a 20 mile bike ride during it (by choice, I love rain)... However, at one point, there was one incredible flash and ridiculously loud sound soon after.

I understand that if you are in plane or Renault 11 (or indeed pretty much any type of car), that if it is struck by lightning, then the lightning merely travels around the outside and finds its way to the earth (probably you'd need some new electrical bits though)... Whats the situation if you are zapped on a push bike?
Disturbing or Deadly?

If you were hit by lightning would you die

Reply #1 –
Quote
Yeah, for those of you in the UK who witnessed the apocolyptic thunder & lightning storms yesterday, I was out doing a 20 mile bike ride during it (by choice, I love rain)... However, at one point, there was one incredible flash and ridiculously loud sound soon after.

I understand that if you are in plane or Renault 11 (or indeed pretty much any type of car), that if it is struck by lightning, then the lightning merely travels around the outside and finds its way to the earth (probably you'd need some new electrical bits though)... Whats the situation if you are zapped on a push bike?
Disturbing or Deadly?
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[a href="http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/outdoors.htm]http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/outdoors.htm[/url]

It's safer to get off your bike and find a building to get inside of.  A bike doesn't offer you the same type of protection from a lightning strike as an enclosed car does (but roll up the windows in your car and don't touch metal).

ff123

If you were hit by lightning would you die

Reply #2 –
a car acts more or less like a faraday's cage (guaranteed it isnt a cabrio  ), for obvious reasons a bike doesnt provide the same protection.
"We cannot win against obsession. They care, we don't. They win."

If you were hit by lightning would you die

Reply #3 –
There was a somewhat related topic at a Korean forum lately. Someone in Korea was struck by lightning because he was talking on his cell phone.

A physics major went on to mention that there were reports of people being struck by lightning because of a metal fountain pen in a shirt pocket or because of glasses. There was even a report of a woman who was struck because of the wires in her bra.

I bet a push bike would draw more electricity to it than a fountain pen or a bra would.

If you were hit by lightning would you die

Reply #4 –
Quote
There was a somewhat related topic at a Korean forum lately. Someone in Korea was struck by lightning because he was talking on his cell phone.


This sounds like an urban myth.  There's the germ of a "payback" type story that could be attached to it.  I.e., "this loudmouth, rude guy on his cell phone gets his comeupance from a bolt of lightning."

Quote
A physics major went on to mention that there were reports of people being struck by lightning because of a metal fountain pen in a shirt pocket or because of glasses. There was even a report of a woman who was struck because of the wires in her bra.


I doubt that small metal objects make it more likely for one to be struck by lightning.  But they do make it more likely that you'll get burned if you are struck.

ff123

If you were hit by lightning would you die

Reply #5 –
It's true it sounds like a myth, but it really did happen to a 46-year-old man in Korea a few days ago. He died instantly, and there was a burn mark on his left ear. Witnesses report he was making a phone call during a sudden downpour when it happened.

If you were hit by lightning would you die

Reply #6 –
If you're in a car the tires are supposed to act as a shield by grounding the car (so I've been told) but if you touch anything metal (key's, door handle) you'll get zapped.

I was almost struck by lightning twenty years ago (12 years old at the time) when I was hammering together a dog house during a thunderstorm, which I must say was totally stupid. The weird thing about the experience was I could see a flash of light coming towards me in what seemed to be slow motion, and then at the very last moment it turned away from me and hit an electrical box about 75 yards away from my position which then promptly exploded with sparks flying all over.

There's a series on TV here in the USA called MythBusters. On one of the episodes they conducted a lightning test, and what its destructive capabilities are.