Lightning Detection
⚡ Quick Instructions:
- When you see lightning, click "Flash Seen!"
- When you hear thunder, click "Thunder Heard!"
- Get instant distance calculation
⚡ The 30-30 Rule
If thunder follows lightning by 30 seconds or less, seek shelter immediately. Stay indoors for 30 minutes after the last thunder.
Multi-Strike Storm Tracker
Track multiple lightning strikes to monitor if the storm is approaching or receding.
Strike History
| Strike # | Time (s) | Distance | Direction | Timestamp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No strikes recorded yet | ||||
Lightning Safety Zones & Guidelines
🚨 Extreme Danger Zone
0 - 1 mile
Lightning can strike at any moment. You are in immediate danger!
- Seek shelter IMMEDIATELY
- Avoid tall objects
- Don't lie flat on ground
- Assume lightning position if caught outside
⚠️ High Risk Zone
1 - 3 miles
Lightning can still reach you. Take immediate precautions.
- Move to shelter quickly
- Monitor storm movement
- Stay away from water
- Avoid metal objects
⚡ Caution Zone
3 - 6 miles
Storm is nearby. Begin safety preparations.
- Plan route to shelter
- Keep monitoring storm
- Prepare to move indoors
- Alert others nearby
👁️ Monitoring Zone
6+ miles
Storm is distant but visible. Stay aware.
- Watch storm development
- Check weather updates
- Know nearest shelter
- Continue normal activities cautiously
⚡ Lightning Position (If Caught Outside)
- Crouch down low with feet together
- Minimize ground contact - stay on balls of feet
- Cover ears to protect from thunder
- Make yourself as small as possible
- Never lie flat - this increases ground current exposure
🏠 Safe Shelters
SAFE:
- ✅ Substantial buildings with wiring and plumbing
- ✅ Hard-topped vehicles with windows closed
- ✅ Underground structures
NOT SAFE:
- ❌ Open structures (gazebos, pavilions)
- ❌ Small sheds or lean-tos
- ❌ Convertible vehicles
- ❌ Golf carts
- ❌ Under trees
Storm Simulator & Predictor
Simulate different weather conditions and see how they affect storm behavior and safety.
Configure Storm Parameters
The Science of Storms & Lightning
⚡ How Lightning Forms
Lightning occurs when electrical charges separate in storm clouds. Ice particles colliding in the cloud create positive charges at the top and negative charges at the bottom. When the charge difference becomes large enough, lightning strikes to equalize the charges.
- Temperature: Lightning is 5x hotter than the sun's surface (~50,000°F)
- Speed: Lightning travels at 270,000 mph
- Frequency: Earth experiences ~100 lightning strikes per second
- Power: A single bolt contains ~1 billion volts
🌩️ Why Thunder Lags Behind Lightning
Light travels at 186,282 miles per second, reaching your eyes almost instantly. Sound travels much slower at approximately 1,125 feet per second (at 68°F). This speed difference creates the delay between seeing lightning and hearing thunder.
The Math:
Distance (miles) = Time Delay (seconds) ÷ 5
Distance (km) = Time Delay (seconds) ÷ 3
🌡️ Temperature's Effect on Sound Speed
Sound travels faster in warmer air because molecules move more quickly. The formula for sound speed based on temperature:
Speed = 1087 ft/s + (1.1 × temperature°F)
- At 32°F (0°C): 1,087 ft/s
- At 68°F (20°C): 1,125 ft/s
- At 100°F (38°C): 1,159 ft/s
⚡ Types of Lightning
- Cloud-to-Ground: Most dangerous, ~25% of all lightning
- Intra-Cloud: Within the same cloud, ~75% of lightning
- Cloud-to-Cloud: Between different clouds
- Ball Lightning: Rare, spherical electrical phenomenon
- St. Elmo's Fire: Plasma discharge from pointed objects
- Sprites & Jets: Upper-atmospheric lightning above storms
🎯 Lightning Strike Statistics
- Odds of being struck in lifetime: 1 in 15,300
- Annual US strikes: ~25 million cloud-to-ground
- Fatalities: ~20 deaths per year in US
- Injuries: ~240 people injured annually
- Survival rate: ~90% of strike victims survive
- Most strikes occur: June-August, 3-6 PM
🌈 Rare Weather Phenomena
Positive Lightning: 5% of strikes but 5x more powerful than negative lightning
Volcanic Lightning: Lightning in volcanic ash clouds
Catatumbo Lightning: Venezuelan storms with 260 storm days/year
Fulgurites: Glass tubes formed when lightning strikes sand
Thunder Snow: Lightning during snowstorms (extremely rare)