LIGHTNING PHENOMENON – Reasons & Solutions
Lightning is a natural phenomenon involving a very high quantum of destructive energy. Lightning is unavoidable. Lightning protection and reliable protection is the only solution.
Lightning is an electrostatic discharge that is naturally occurring and briefly normalizes two electrically charged areas in or on the ground, generating an instantaneously large amount of energy. A flash is caused by a thunderstorm conflicting loads in the sky.
Lightning is generated by circulating winds and water molecules in a thunderstorm cloud. The circulating winds are essentially low intensity air currents that can dislodge the electrons from the water molecules in the cloud. As a result of the removal of electrons, two charged masses of opposite polarity are created within the cloud. These two charged masses of opposite polarity strive to attain equilibrium, resulting in a lightning discharge.
One form of lightning is where a discharge takes place from the negatively charged portion to the positively charged portion within the cloud. This is commonly known as intra-cloud lightning.
Occasionally, the charged mass from the base of a cloud moves towards earth in steps. This stream of charge is known as a natural down streamer and it induces a charge of opposite polarity at any sharp points on the earth's surface. The sharp points on the earth send out their own upward streamers. Since the two streamers are opposite in polarity, they are attracted towards each other. When they meet, the air gap between the cloud and the earth breaks down, resulting in the cloud being wired to the earth. All the energy in the cloud flows down this corridor to the earth — this is termed as lightning. This energy can be of the order of a few hundred mega joules and it hits the earth in a few microseconds.
It is important to note that for any given downstream from the cloud, there can be many up streamers going from the earth's surface. Whichever up streamer manages to establish contact with the downstream first will route the lightning strike to the point where the up streamer has originated. This entire phenomenon occurs in a few milliseconds and is invisible to the human eye. Given the above, it is almost impossible to predict when and where lightning will strike. Hence, we must be adequately prepared at all times to protect ourselves against these dangerous natural phenomena.
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