Thunderstorm is an interesting natural phenomenon. But everyone knows that there is a flip side to the coin. A thunderstorm is not only beautiful lightning in the sky, but also danger. The sky covered with dark blue clouds, strong wind, thunder, flashes - all that we are used to seeing in this phenomenon. Many have probably wondered more than once: “Where does the fiery guest hit during a thunderstorm?”. You will find out the answer to this question later, but for now you should figure out how this happens.
Where does the flash come from?
Lightning is a natural phenomenon, which is an electrical discharge, which is accompanied by a flash of light. It's a huge spark.
It does not appear as close as we think. Everyone knows that the speed of light is a million times faster than the speed of sound. That is why we first see a flash, and only then hear a roar. How does she appear? Thunderstorm clouds form in the atmosphere. When the air heats up too much, the charged particles flock to one place and ignite. This is how lightning occurs. However, it has a very hightemperature.
Direction of lightning
We are all used to seeing lightning strike from top to bottom. The channel through which the lightning passes is a branching, since the ionization of air occurs unevenly. Lightning, passing through this channel, also branches, so we are used to seeing a flash not in the form of a straight line, but similar to veins. The main channel through which lightning passes is called the leader. The branches formed from it go in the direction of the leader's movement. It is important to note that the leader cannot change his direction abruptly to the opposite. The current passes through the leader and its branches as soon as it has connected the thundercloud and the ground. Passing through the channels, the current beats in the direction several times. Thanks to this, we see that the lightning flickers.
Where does lightning strike?
The tension in the high layers is always greater than in the lower ones. Therefore, you can see that the "heavenly guest" beats from top to bottom. If you compare lightning with a tree, then it will resemble its root system.
Sometimes it happens that the current goes the other way around, that is, from the bottom up. If we compare it with a tree, then the leader and its branches will resemble a spreading crown. When lightning strikes from top to bottom, it seems as if it strikes from the sky into the ground. In the second case, we do not perceive that lightning strikes from the ground. Why is that? It's all about our perception. Lightning is a fast process. Our eyes fix their gaze on it as a whole, but we cannot observe the direction of current movement, and human perception is far fromobjectively. Human eyes cannot capture thousands of frames per second. Therefore, we perceive the whole picture.
If you look at a video camera capable of capturing these lightning-fast shots, you can see both ascending and descending current flows. How this process occurs is understandable, but where does lightning strike? We will look into this below.
Where does lightning strike and why?
Lightning strikes in those places where the layer between any object and a thundercloud will be the smallest. Many objects that are on the ground and conduct electricity well attract lightning. Where does lightning strike? It can get into a variety of places: trees, metal towers, poles, pipes, houses, buildings, planes, water, even a person. The higher the attraction of an object, the more likely it is to be struck by lightning. For example, take two adjacent pillars: wooden and metal. More likely to hit the second one.
The fact is that metal objects conduct current much better. After a strike, the current from the ground will go much easier to the mast, since it is well connected to the ground. The larger the surface of the metal structure is connected to the ground, the greater the likelihood of a lightning strike. Often it hits a flat surface. But there will be a section where there is the greatest conductivity of the surface of the electric current.
For example, swamps are more likely to be struck by lightning than dry sand surfaces. Objects in the sky can also be hit. There are cases when lightning hit the plane. It does not carry a strong danger to people in the aircraft, but it is quite capable of incapacitating equipment. Lightning poses a great danger to people who are in the house during a thunderstorm. It would seem, why is it so, because the person is protected? However, an unplugged TV, a working mobile phone, can easily attract current, which is dangerous for humans.
There are cases when he struck a person on the street. Lightning strikes men more often than women. In the countryside, it can strike anywhere. Where does lightning strike in the city? As mentioned, it hits objects that easily conduct current, are well connected to the ground. These will be tall buildings, towers. Fortunately, lightning rods have been invented, which are widely used in large cities. For humans, lightning is a dangerous phenomenon. That is why you should follow all safety rules and know how to behave during a thunderstorm.
Myth and only
Information about where lightning strikes most often has become clear. Now I want to dispel the myth that lightning does not strike the same place twice. Beats. Lightning can strike the same object multiple times.
