At any moment, there are about 1800 thunderstorms happening around the world. About 100 lightning bolts strike the earth every second. Lightning is one of the most powerful forces of nature. It sets off raging forest fires, destroys buildings, kills plants, animals and people. But it also balances out the natural elecrtricity of the earth and sky.

Lightning bolts travel at "lightning" speeds of up to sixty thousand miles per second. That's six times faster than our fastest spaceships. When a lightning bolt strikes, the electrical energy quickly changes into heat. Temperatures in the path of a lightning bolt can reach as high as fifty thousand degrees Fahrenheit, five times hotter than the surface of the sun. The intense heat alongside the lightning channel makes the air expand explosively and then contract as it cools. The quick back and forth movement of air particles produces the sound waves call thunder. From close up, we hear thunder as a single sharp crack. From further away, thunder seems to roll or rumble in the distance. When a lightning bolt flashes, we see it immediately, but thunder takes about five seconds to travel a mile. That's because light is about a million times faster than sound.

The kind of lightning that scientists know the most about is the kind that flashes between clouds and the ground. Lightning that strikes the ground is the easiest and photograph and measure. It also causes the most damage to buildings and living things. Lightning can happen during snowstorms, hailstorms, volcanoes and tornadoes. Most lightning comes from large clouds called thunderheads. Another name for a thunderhead is a cumulonimbus cloud.

An average of 150 to 200 people are killed by lightning in the United States. Florida is the lightning capital of the United States. The high humidity and heat produce almost daily summer thunderstorms and three times the number of lighning strokes of any other place in the country.

Safety in a Thunderstorm

If you are caught in the open in a lightning storm stay away from high ridges, open meadows, telephone poles, wire fences, rails, open vehicles, golf clubs, tops of hills, open areas, flat fields, tractors and take off shoes with metal cleats. If you are swimming or boating get out of the water immediately. Lightning travels easily through water. If you are in an open area, spread out-with several yards between each person. When you are camping, be sure to choose a safe place to pitch your tent. If you feel your skin tingle or your hair stand on end, lightning may be about to strike. Crouch down and bend over your knees right away. Do not lie down., because the ground can carry a charge.

Just to be safe, unplug TV's, stereos and computers before the storm begins. After the storm starts, use the telephone only for emergencies. Stay away from metal objects such as faucet handles and screen doors. Wait until the storm is over to do dishes or take a bath.

Lightning remains a mystery that we are only slowly beginning to understand.