If you were struck by lightning, it would be better if it rained on you

Although we usually refer thunderstorms With rain, It may well be that lightning and thunder occur, but not a drop of water falls from the sky. These are the so-called dry thunderstorms. They may seem better to us, but the truth is that in some areas they are much more dangerous. For example, it has been proven that when lightning struck a personthe likelihood of survival is greater if it is wet from rain. If your skin is dry, everything looks ugly.

Because yes, a person can survive being struck by lightning. In fact, many cases have been documented, such as the case where a man was struck by 7 lightning bolts and none of them killed him. It is logical that mortality largely depends on the electrical intensity of the beam, its orientation and the location of the body it hits. When lightning strikes overhead it can be easy fatal.

But it was the head, that part of the body, that a team of university scientists focused on this year. Technical University of Ilmenauin Germany. They wanted to know how rain affects mortality when lightning strikes a person in the head. They assumed it might have an impact, but the truth is, not as much as their results ultimately showed.

What happens when you get struck by lightning?

Before we talk about the consequences of a lightning strike, we must keep in mind that it can strike a person in 5 different ways.

First of all, this is a straight fall, where the cloud directly discharges the lightning about the victim. This is the least common form of lightning strike, but also the deadliest. When lightning strikes, its electricity is transmitted through the human body in two ways. Some of it spreads through the skin, causing burns. However, the other circulates within the body through the cardiovascular and/or nervous systems. It is at this point that the most deadly consequences can occur.

Secondly, we find side flash. This occurs when lightning first strikes a tall object, such as a tree or building, and only part of it is reflected back to the victim. That’s why you shouldn’t hide from the rain under a tree during a thunderstorm. This is a less fatal type of lightning strike, but can cause serious burns.

Also land current may occurwhen lightning, after striking a tall object such as a tree, moves down and then along the ground, discharging its energy onto other objects in its path. For example, a group of people. This is the form of lightning strike that causes the most deaths as the energy is also completely distributed throughout the body.

On the other hand, if lightning strikes on a conductive surfacecan travel long distances along it until it reaches a person. This happens, for example, with railings or metal fences.

And finally lightning may strike in the form of streamers. They occur when the air is highly charged with electricity, so that several lightning bolts can form and jump upward. They are very unexpected and also have a high mortality rate.

In any of these forms, mortality is usually due to cardiopulmonary arrest caused by electrical shock as well as severe damage to the nervous system. After all, we have already seen that these are the two systems that suffer most from a lightning strike.

What happens if it rains?

To conduct their research, these German scientists used some realistic models of the human head.

They consisted of three compartments corresponding to the scalp, skull and intracranial volume. Molds were used to make each compartment. The main casting material was 2% agarose in deionized water to which were added various quantities of sodium chloride, carbon black or graphite.

Specifically, 0.17% sodium chloride was added to form the skull, another 0.01% sodium chloride and 4% graphite for the skull, and finally 0.17% sodium chloride and 4% carbon black to form the scalp. All these substances tend to imitate electrical conductivity various parts of the human head. As for agarose, this substance is similar in appearance to human skin.

Once these heads were made, a lightning strike was simulated in all the forms mentioned above by adding water as rain to the artificial skin or keeping it dry. Thus, it has been observed that dry skin conducts lightning electricity much better. to the nervous system or even allowed it to penetrate into the heart.

Thanks to the rain, mechanical and electrical damage was significantly reduced. In fact, fewer holes were formed on the false head. But in addition, much less electricity was measured through the skin, since much of it was absorbed by water. The conclusion of the study was that rain on the scalp promotes survival. 70-90% when lightning strikes. So, the next time you see a dry thunderstorm, be extra careful and go outside. The chances of knowing if you have been struck by lightning are lower.