lightning, n.Trivia

Lightning can occur during volcanic eruptions, dust storms, snow storms, forest fires and tornadoes.

If you count the number of seconds between a flash of lightning and the sound of thunder, then divide by five, that's how many miles away you are from the lightning strike.

A lightning strike is packed with enough energy to cook 100,000 pieces of toast

lightning strikes the Earth over 100 times every second

Lightning is sexist --- 80% of all people hit by lightning are men

The part of lightning that we can see actually comes from the ground up, not the sky down.

lightning mostly occurs over land rather than oceans and 70% of it occurs in the Tropics.

Lightning is a powerful burst of electricity that happens very quickly during a thunderstorm.

A man struck by lightning 3 times in his life, after dying, went on to have his gravestone struck.

Lightning can occur inside clouds, between clouds and from clouds to the ground.

Lightning is extremely common --- Each year there are an estimated 1.4 billion lightning flashes around the world

Lightning strikes usually last around 1 or 2 microseconds.

Lightning strikes the Earth 6,000 times every minute

The Statue of Liberty is hit by around 600 bolts of lightning every year

A bolt of lightning can create glass when it strikes sand.

James Joyce created a 100-letter word for thunder and lightning: Bababadalgharaghtaka-mminarronnkonnbronntonnerronntuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk

Lightning contains millions of volts of electricity.

Lightning is always following shortest route to something with a positive charge, this might be a tree, a tall building or if they're very unlucky, a person.

lightning strikes thousands of people every year

A single lightning bolt can contain enough energy to toast tens of thousands of slices of bread.