the part that makes that 'blue sky' lightning even more alarming is that it is
usually a relatively high current and long duration positive polarity stroke
that comes all the way from the top of the distant thunderstorm. these are
often much more destructive than the common negative stroke right under the
storm. the way these work is that in the cloud normally negative charge
accumulate at the bottom of the cloud and positive at the top. the negative
charges under the cloud push electrons away leaving positive charges under the
cloud with a ring of negative charges around it. the positive charge at the
top of the cloud builds up longer than the negative at the bottom that
discharges regularly to the ground. when this large positive charge starts to
generate a leader it often travels many miles horizontally before striking the
ground.
Jul 8, 2013 11:27:47 AM, Cqtestk4xs@aol.com wrote:
I've told this one before. I was working on stuff in the yard on a summer
day in FL. I was located about 15 feet form my well and about 10 feet
from the guy wire on one of my towers.
There was a distant (probably at least 15 miles or more away) T-storm
starting to build, but from experience I knew it would be at least 30 minutes
or more if it moved in my direction before it arrived.
Flash, crack right at that time! I made a dash in to the house
immediately. I looked outside and there was no sign of the storm building or
coming
closer...nothing on the horizon other than that. Feeling secure I went
backout to pick up the tools I was working with. As I got near the same
area...flash, boom again.
Went inside the house to uh... relieve myself. When I came out and
checked what time it was the microwave was blank and I heard the well pump
making
a moaning noise as it tried to work.
The lightning had hit the well (260 feet deep and a great ground) and had
fried the pump as well as a bunch of stuff in the house. Remember, the
well was 15 feet from me.
Moral of the story: Lightning can strike out of an almost clear blue sky.
Be careful!!
By the way, the storm never got any closer and I heard no other thunder.
K4XS/KH7XS (Located in the lightning capitol of NA, WCF)
In a message dated 7/8/2013 2:13:17 P.M. Coordinated Universal Time,
K2STN@frontier.com writes:
There are stories, presumably documented, of people being struck by
lightning from a storm ten miles away, in an area that did not appear to
be
at storm risk... bright, sunny and clear.
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