The phenomenon of lightning and thunder

1. The voltage of lightning is said to be about 200 million volts. Air does not normally conduct electricity, but in the case of lightning, the voltage is so high that it can conduct electricity through the air and discharge.

2. In fact, lightning can occur even in the absence of cumulonimbus clouds. One of these phenomena is called “volcanic thunder”. Volcanic thunder occurs when a volcano erupts.

According to the Meteorological Agency, on the Japan Sea side, thunder occurs all year round, and there are many places where thunder occurs even in winter. There are fewer thunderstorms, though in winter, and there is a part of the Atlantic coast which also has thunderstorms in winter. Thunder in winter is slightly different from thunder in summer. Winter thunder is very powerful and has fewer discharges, so winter thunder is also known as a single one, and its energy is about 100 times that of summer thunder. Summer thunder can be heard from a distance, so it is easy to take precautions, but winter lightning has very few discharges, which means it can approach silently and then strike suddenly.

3. In addition to the damage to the human body from being struck lightning, there are malfunctions in electrical appliances such as computers and televisions due to high currents flowing through them, as well as fires in forests and buildings.