Stormy weather!

Mr X

Well-Known Forumite
Gramaisc said:
Withnail said:
My brother's house once got hit by lightning and his telly blew up - literally. No one was in the room at the time thankfully.

True story.
I saw a tree struck when I was about nine - jagged, burning lumps of timber about the size of railway sleepers were hurled about the place - not standing under trees in thunderstorms is good advice....
A good place to be is in a car, it seems...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZxgYNnkBd0

Just don't touch the metal bits!!
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
These days people tend not to be out in the weather as much as they were - the Faraday Cage effect of the car above is a good example - be in that situation on foot, on a bicycle or on a horse and the outcome would be much less favourable.

Somewhere else we have discussed the earth-gradient effect that actually causes most injuries, rather than being struck directly.
 

wmrcomputers

Stafford PC & laptop repair specialist
I quite enjoyed the youtube link thanks - it kind of confirms what I've always believed and I do usually stay in the car during storms. On another note though, as kids we were always told to stay away from the windows during a close storm... assumably because of the metal frames. Would I be right to think that with modern day double glazing it's a reasonable safe practice now to spend the duration of a storm leaning on the windowsill to watch??
 

Edd209

Well-Known Forumite
I wouldn't go with that theory decent double glazing has more steel work in it than the old style tiny metal single glazed stuff
 

joshua

Well-Known Forumite
I always remember being told that we must unplug the tv aerial as the lightning could travel down it and blow up the telly !
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
wmrcomputers said:
I quite enjoyed the youtube link thanks - it kind of confirms what I've always believed and I do usually stay in the car during storms. On another note though, as kids we were always told to stay away from the windows during a close storm... assumably because of the metal frames. Would I be right to think that with modern day double glazing it's a reasonable safe practice now to spend the duration of a storm leaning on the windowsill to watch??
At high voltages, and in humid/wet conditions, insulation and conduction can work for or against your survival, depending on the individual situation of each strike..
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
joshua said:
I always remember being told that we must unplug the tv aerial as the lightning could travel down it and blow up the telly !
It's possibly worth unplugging the aerial well before an anticipated storm - but not necessarily a good idea to have the plug in your hand if there is a possibility of a strike actually occuring at the time! I would take the remote chance and leave it in. It is always possible that taking a direct earth connection to the top of the building will actually reduce the likelihood of it being struck anyway ..
 

staffordjas

Well-Known Forumite
Withnail said:
My brother's house once got hit by lightning and his telly blew up - literally. No one was in the room at the time thankfully.

True story.
A neighbour in West Way had her aerial hit,years ago, and their TV blew up & went flying across the room.
 

Slainte

Quizmeister
and in Cannock this afternoon, been chucking it down on and off, was gutted missed the good storm over the weekend, was in London and it needed a good storm, as it was so humid
 

staffordjas

Well-Known Forumite
A right storm coming over right now from Cannock & Penkridge way towards Stafford! Really bad thunder & lightening :eek:

Edited to say : Now right overhead and hammering it down as well,as I watch through the window, and hubby won't let us switch the TV off :eek::eek:
 

age'd parent

50,000th poster!
My poor dog's hiding under my desk.
While I turned of the lights to watch it, some really good forks to be seen
 

wildwood

Well-Known Forumite
Jeez!! Me telly signal is all to pot!

Friday night and tonight's storms are something else. Last time I remember it like this was when I was on hols abroad.
 
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