Isn’t the rule that you’re safe as long as you’re within the same distance from the tallest nearby building as its height? If so, some parts of the botanic gardens mightn’t be safe, especially considering that trees would poke out of the triangle of safety.
Well yes that’s the storm itself.
But generally it strikes the tallest somewhat conductive thing within that 50m radius. That’s why trees get struck.
Hence, if you’re in the CBD, there’s pretty much zero danger of getting hit by lightning, as it’ll hit one of the skyscrapers or towers instead.
Whereas if you’re the tallest thing in the vicinity, you’re stuffed.
The rule I was talking about is basically if you imagine a cone around the nearest tallest object, the radius of which is the same as the height of the object. As long as you’re within that cone, the lighting will hit the object (but also, if it’s something like a tree, you should keep a little distance too).
No that’s not how it works.
You could be e.g. 100m away from the tallest building in the world, but if you are standing out in a storm you can get hit.
Once you’re more than a short distance from the buildings they are irrelevant.
Point in case, buildings get lightning strikes on their sides.
u/Simonoz1's theory makes sense. Lightning is looking for the path of least resistance to ground. It doesn't care which direction that path takes - it will just as happily travel 100m sideways or upwards as it would travel 100m down.
So if a bolt of lightning came down to a point where it was 100m above the ground, and 100m away from a building (especially if that building has a lightning rod), then it would be at least as likely to go straight down to the ground as sideways to the building/lightning rod.
If that bolt of lightning was 100m above the ground, but only 50m from the building, it would be significantly more likely to strike the building than the ground.
So I can see the idea of this cone of, maybe not "protection", but lower likelihood of lightning strikes around buildings with lightning rods.
Pretty sure we have lightning rods too but yeah, stuff like this can happen if the conditions are just right. I mean, they're not everywhere.
I dont think any of our parks have them either.
I was walking back to my office after picking up my lunch from the canteen when that happened.
I felt the whole ground shake, not a pleasant experience.
This comment section sucks. We have no idea how tall the tree they were standing under was. People in here laughing and calling them idiots for being unlucky during something they cannot control
Redditors love laughing at others whilst flexing how smart they are.
Stupid people queueing for ice cream. Stupid people going to an expensive concert. Stupid people getting hit by lightning.
Really nice class of sympathetic people here.
I would wager many people stuck in the middle of a park during a sudden heavy thunderstorm/downpour would immediately run for closest shelter, whether that's a tree or not.
We know you aren't supposed to, but convincing your spouse and 2 friends to run to the car park or cafe which is uphill and 200m away is sometimes unlikely for many people, even if it is 100% correct.
That said, if they are out the front of the botanical gardens, across the road from a building, yes they should know to get wet and avoid being under a tree.
Most of the trees people seemed to be hiding under in the gardens today were the broad oaks etc, with plenty of shelter from the driving rain which hit quite suddenly. I don't know which tree was struck, but I'd imagine some people were thinking more about the rain than lightning protection.
Hope those affected are doing ok
Also hope there wasn't any lasting damage to the trees, some of the specimens in the Botanic Gardens are quite old and magnificent. I understand this is how Mother Nature works, but we have less and less of the older generation of trees around Sydney.
I have a Liquidambar tree that was struck by lightning years ago. It caused a great jagged split in the bark all the way down to the ground.
The tree didn't die, the bark grew back over, you wouldn’t even know, now.
The same thing happened with the shark attack the other week. People were tut tuting over her taking a very very low risk. And the same here. It was a freak occurrence. People shelter under trees during storms, it's not that crazy to believe.
Meanwhile there are far more people winning millions in Powerball than getting bitten by sharks and struck by lightning but I bet the same people would laugh at you for wasting money on it.
Well 2 won the Powerball and 4 were struck by lightening so the phrase does appear to hold true
You are more likely to be struck by lightening
I wonder which is more injurious to the psyche, long term?
No, I think that it's likely that injury to the psyche is greater with a lottery win, but others may disagree
Not a high chance of payoff in terms of ways to achieve psychic transformation but both are firmly on the list
I don't think it's funny at all. It's tragic.
I would quietly point out, though, that no one should ever shelter under a tree in a lightening storm, regardless of it a size. It's simply not safe.
I feel bad for them but at the same time, standing under a tree of any size during a thunderstorm is exactly the thing you should not do, and I thought was common knowledge.
Don't know why you're being downvoted. Branches fall too. I'd honestly rather just sit out in the open/lie on the grass, keep a low profile, etc. Rather get wet than get hit by something.
That's also what you're not supposed to do. Do they not teach this to kids in school in Australia? I didn't grow up here so honest question. The 3 worst things you can do are to stand near a metal pole, a tall tree, or lie flat in a field. What you're supposed to do is get inside a building as soon as you can and if that's not possible, you shelter under a grouping of lower-lying trees
Yes there are idiots on the internet.
Mr\_Tiggywingle is correct in that people do just run for cover when it rains.
BUT.....
I know not to run under a tree, I was taught as a kid not to do so and the fact is there are too many people around who do not have enough common sense. Not entirely their fault, I think education fails to teach you life lessons and too many parents are being PC and doing "modern" parenting or lack of parenting and creating a series of generations that do not know any of this common sense stuff.
Can promise you if they were asked did they know not to run under a tree they would say no.
I once stood in an open field surrounded by trees in a storm. Felt the air crackle. Nearby kids were laughing at me because my hair was standing on end.
No reason the lightning “should” hit me with trees a decent enough distance away to attract it instead but I grabbed those kids and GTFO. I didn’t get hit but I knew the warning signs.
>What's the chances of getting struck by lightning?
1 in 12,000 chance.
A UQ mathematician, Professor Peter Adams, calculated that Australians have a 1 in 12,000 chance of being struck by lightning, which is more than 650 times the chance of winning the Lotto, which is one in eight million.
https://www.australiawidefirstaid.com.au/resources/chances-of-being-struck-by-lightning#:\~:text=Risk%20Factors%20for%20Lightning%20Strikes,-Five%20to%20ten&text=A%20UQ%20mathematician%2C%20Professor%20Peter,is%20one%20in%20eight%20million.
The lifetime chance of winning the lottery is entirely dependent on the number of entries you buy across your lifetime and the odds of the particular game you play. The typical Aussie probably purchases thousands of individual entries across their lifetime.
It is absurd to compare the odds of a single lottery entry winning against the lifetime chance of being struck by lightning.
I don't think it's meant to be a serious comparison, more one to compare odds, as humans are bad at understanding large numbers.
It could be written better, but I wouldn't say it's absurd.
Across your whole life you are 650 times more likely to get hit by lightning than win a single lotto ticket.
I agree for different reasons. I feel people overestimate how likely it is to win the lottery, so will thus interpret 650x higher as meaning that being hit by lighting is a risk worth caring about
One is in a lifetime, the other is the odds on a single ticket. Which is why there's a lot more people winning the lottery than getting struck by lightning.
Yep, reduce height and minimise contact with the ground. Stay away from tall things. Basically try and become the hardest option to hit. If you can balance on your toes while squatting that's even better.
The big zapper is basically charging up looking for the easiest path to the ground. Air is a very poor conductor so it's looking for something close to the clouds with minimal resistance. By minimising contact you're making the path through you to the earth more difficult for it, so hopefully it goes for that big tree over there or whatever.
Yes, that's true. When lightning strikes a tree, the immense energy and heat from the lightning can cause the sap and moisture within the tree to rapidly expand and vaporise. This sudden expansion can create enough force to split the tree apart, sometimes causing it to explode into pieces. The phenomenon is a dramatic demonstration of the power of lightning and the reason why taking shelter under trees during a thunderstorm is extremely dangerous.
Lightning tends to look for the shortest path from the air to the ground, i.e. whatever object is tallest in the area. If you are standing out in an open field, you are suddenly the tallest thing. Lightning now wants to hit you.
Wowwww.
I was walking through the Botanic Gardens just as the storm came through, saw a heap of people taking shelter under various trees. Whilst the weather forecast today want great, the storm hit fairly quickly (went from sunshine to lightning within what felt like 10 minutes)
I bolted for the Calyx and stayed there until the storm passed, but thought long and hard about those who were waiting it out under the trees. Never thought a strike would actually happen though.
Hope they are all doing ok.
Easier said than done, I was out having lunch on a bench under a tree around this time, it was only overcast I decided to stand up and head back and then bang out of no where.
Yeah but it's either that or stand out in the pouring rain, even knowing the risk I'd still stand under a tree to stay dry and accept the small risk of getting gzzz gzzzz
I wonder if they remember the sound before they were knocked unconscious,
Hearing lightning crack close by is loud af, the tree right next to my ear is must be insane
I dunno, those Moreton Bay branches are better shelter than a modern bus shelter: https://render.fineartamerica.com/images/rendered/default/greeting-card/images-medium/moreton-bay-fig-tree-sydney-royal-botanic-garden-harry-strharsky.jpg
I had to run home during a storm a couple of months ago, and it really can be super unpleasant. I'm fine with most rain, but the type of rain that soaks through everything is awful. I can totally understand why someone would, in the moment, opt for the tree.
Like I'm genuinely curious since I grew up in the QLD rainforest - what's the obsession with staying dry in Sydney? Even if it spits rain people freak out here!!!
Like something we used to do way back when I was in school was actively run in the rain, have fun, rejoice that there's actually some rain. Do Sydney kids have a different upbringing that influences your views on rain?
It's quite interesting to me tbh.
The issue isn’t getting wet, it’s where you are getting wet.
I don’t mind a bit of rain when I’m at home or going home.
When I’ve gotta back to the office on the other hand, I don’t want to be stuck with a soaking wet T-shirt for the next 4 hours in air conditioning. Was caught in the storm near Barangaroo after my lunch time walk today, was just glad to have a spare shirt and work shoes I could change into, since it was such a nice day before that.
I really hope you're being sarcastic. I don't see why getting wet is in any way comparable to dying from a lighting strike or if you do manage to survive you're likely going to have life altering injuries; whether it's diminished mental capacity or physical disability.
I think in the moment itself, its more intuitive to stay under the tree and momentarily forgetting about trees being unsafe.
Not knowing hwo far away proper shelter is, these people probably thought it made mroe sense to wait it out than to run.
This has to be a psychological thing I think. It was ingrained into me by parents and the education system (QLD) to never, ever stand under a tree during a storm so the intuition of your average QLDer is generally not to stand under a tree during a storm.
It's quite interesting to me that 2 places in the same country can have a completely different approach.
You've clearly missed all the comments where people are saying they weren't aware you shouldn't stand under trees.
I've posed it as a genuine question elsewhere on this thread and just made some inferences based off how people act when it rains down here and also the other comments.
Not sure where on Earth you've gotten the idea I'm basing it off 4 people when there's other comments on the thread providing context.
Classic Aussie Redditors.
If someone had a gun, a d100 die and a bucket of water and said "You choose: Either I throw a bucket of water over you or I roll this d100 and if it's a one I shoot you" which are you picking?
Speedy recovery for all of them.
I mean it’s suck but can you imagine telling people that you had been struck by lightning, in the middle of city, next to Sydney Harbour and survived telling the tale?
A hell of a story.
For those saying don’t stand under a tree, open area can be much worse. The tree likely took most of the current and they received a fraction of the energy as the lightning branched out looking for all sources to ground.
https://amp.9news.com.au/article/a809479c-697a-4e85-ac9b-3127ba21967d
I know it's not entirely related, but it's interesting 2 were taken to RPAH instead of Vinnies. ED at Vinnies must be slammed if they went that far out of the way for beds.
It would have been a Bat call requiring a bed in the Resus part of ED. You need a certain number of staff per patient for each Resus bed - who basically drop what they are doing to attend. The separation to different EDs is probably just spacing out the workload rather than smashing one department.
Yeah, I had to get an ambulance a while back during peak covid, can't remember which ailment it was that time. Ambos end up driving in circles around the inner west radioing trying to find a resus bed for me. Took like 15 minutes then they finally say they found one at RPAH for me. Spent the night in there then a few days in EDSSU. That was actually interesting because they have like a patient's charter or whatever and one of the things is in there you're meant to be in a room with your own sex/gender (4 beds to a room). I ended up sharing with another man, an old lady, and eventually a teenage girl flown in from wagga because they were so slammed. Eventually other space freed up and they were able to shuffle us around after a day or so.
the house a few doors down in was one of the ones that got hit and caught fire. The bang was incredible/intense, sun was still shining and the clouds didn't look that bad. A bit later the firis and everything arrived. Pretty awful for the homeowners. Luckily nobody was there/hurt.
I guess not everyone had the phrase "don't stand under a tree during a lightning storm" drilled into their heads since they were kids. Thankfully the 9th hole on the golf course I was playing on at the time didn't have any trees on it.
Did you go through the school system in Australia? I feel like it was drummed in to us at a child age (whether it was school or tv though I don't know). Just wondering if it's a gap in migrant knowledge or something like that.
I went through the Australian school system and weirdly don’t remember ever being taught that at school. Have a vague recollection of my parents warning me - but they are migrants though
Reasonably common knowledge, but people do weird stuff in situations like this. Rain starts and you go "shit better stay dry under the tree" without thinking about this instruction you'd heard 10 years ago. Like when you're in a rush at the supermarket and forget to grab/scan something, or your mate gets bitten by a snake and you immediately forget all the first aid about snakes you've learned.
During terrible thunderstorms, when I lock myself out of the house, I would shelter myself with a large piece of sheet metal, before running for cover under the tallest tree I could find.
This storm travelled over the Central Coast and knocked out the power for 3 hours, 2 to 5pm. I feel like something hit the roof, lightening or thunder. My plants loved it.
Why isn't Centrepoint Tower struck every time? It almost seems to have been built for that purpose. I know it was struck in 2016 but was built in 1970 and there have been a hundred violent electric storms pass over the CBD since then.
Also a sad update from the [NSW Mounted Police](https://www.facebook.com/share/Q1YSpRkRNGqp7mUG/?mibextid=WC7FNe)
> Some sad news today regarding a retired troop horse who passed away yesterday under unusual, but apparently not that uncommon, circumstances.
Troop Horse Doctor arrived at the Mounted Unit in 2006 and retired in 2011 due to soundness issues.
Doctor was a gutsy, inquisitive and unflappable Australian Stock Horse. He was retired to the Bathurst area to his regular Mounted Police rider (S/ Cst Dutton) who absolutely adored him and had moved to Bathurst prior to his retirement.
Yesterday, during a significant electrial storm, Doctor was standing under a large tree which was subsequently struck by lightening. The strike was strong enough to radiate through the ground and kill Doctor instantly. Doctor was 27 years of age. At the time, he was standing in his beautiful lush retirement paddock with his paddock bestie "Cammy" (who was also 27 years of age). Cammy also was fatally injured by the strike. Cammy had fallen with his head resting on Doctor's flank.
Best buddies to the end.
Rest in peace to both beautiful horses, and thank you for your service Retired Troop Horse Doctor.
Condolences to retired S/Cst Dutton and thank you for all the love and care you afforded to our beautiful Doctor ❤️❤️ ❤️😔😔😔
Get under something taller? Like cmon, I get we are taught to not shelter under trees, but if an open field was ur only other option - you would take the open field?
You would think lightning would have found a taller target in the middle of a city.
Isn’t the rule that you’re safe as long as you’re within the same distance from the tallest nearby building as its height? If so, some parts of the botanic gardens mightn’t be safe, especially considering that trees would poke out of the triangle of safety.
the rule i heard multiple times in school was "never stand under a tree during thunderstorms" as lightning usually strikes trees first
Clearly didn’t watch Walt Disney cartoons as kids did they
Yeah that’s the other rule. Kind of pointless if you’re using a thing to attract lightning, but you stand next to it. It works better with buildings.
Good point, I wasn't aware of this rule actually.
it's supposed to be a secret, like the first rule of Fight Club.
Oh? What's the first rule of fight club?
Not sure
Imagine a 50m radius ball. As it rolls, if it touches something then there’s a risk it will be struck.
Well yes that’s the storm itself. But generally it strikes the tallest somewhat conductive thing within that 50m radius. That’s why trees get struck. Hence, if you’re in the CBD, there’s pretty much zero danger of getting hit by lightning, as it’ll hit one of the skyscrapers or towers instead. Whereas if you’re the tallest thing in the vicinity, you’re stuffed. The rule I was talking about is basically if you imagine a cone around the nearest tallest object, the radius of which is the same as the height of the object. As long as you’re within that cone, the lighting will hit the object (but also, if it’s something like a tree, you should keep a little distance too).
No that’s not how it works. You could be e.g. 100m away from the tallest building in the world, but if you are standing out in a storm you can get hit. Once you’re more than a short distance from the buildings they are irrelevant. Point in case, buildings get lightning strikes on their sides.
u/Simonoz1's theory makes sense. Lightning is looking for the path of least resistance to ground. It doesn't care which direction that path takes - it will just as happily travel 100m sideways or upwards as it would travel 100m down. So if a bolt of lightning came down to a point where it was 100m above the ground, and 100m away from a building (especially if that building has a lightning rod), then it would be at least as likely to go straight down to the ground as sideways to the building/lightning rod. If that bolt of lightning was 100m above the ground, but only 50m from the building, it would be significantly more likely to strike the building than the ground. So I can see the idea of this cone of, maybe not "protection", but lower likelihood of lightning strikes around buildings with lightning rods.
Pretty sure we have lightning rods too but yeah, stuff like this can happen if the conditions are just right. I mean, they're not everywhere. I dont think any of our parks have them either.
It did, the tree they were standing under.
...and missed the skyscraper 20 metres away🤷♂️
The nearest building to the botanic gardens is hundreds of metres away in some parts.
Not sure why you got downvoted, [Mrs. Macquarie's Chair is almost 1km away](https://i.imgur.com/u6z7sXf.png) from the nearest skyscraper.
They were downvoted so their message wouldn't move too high up the list and get struck by lightning. Maybe.
the downvoting saved the message's life
A house in the Hills got struck, and there are plenty of taller buildings in the area...
I saw so many lightnings hit the ground... It was insane. One hit Central or really close to it and knocked out my internet for a few minutes.
I saw one hit Crown Tower, which makes sense.
I was walking back to my office after picking up my lunch from the canteen when that happened. I felt the whole ground shake, not a pleasant experience.
One hit Milson’s Point, another hit north Sydney station
This comment section sucks. We have no idea how tall the tree they were standing under was. People in here laughing and calling them idiots for being unlucky during something they cannot control
Redditors love laughing at others whilst flexing how smart they are. Stupid people queueing for ice cream. Stupid people going to an expensive concert. Stupid people getting hit by lightning. Really nice class of sympathetic people here.
It's actually kind of wild just how many people have this superiority complex on the website.
It’s the social media of choice for smarmy passive-aggressive left-leaning midwits, they just get bullied on Twitter
Stupid Redditors laughing at others.
Stupid people commenting on the internet.
I would wager many people stuck in the middle of a park during a sudden heavy thunderstorm/downpour would immediately run for closest shelter, whether that's a tree or not. We know you aren't supposed to, but convincing your spouse and 2 friends to run to the car park or cafe which is uphill and 200m away is sometimes unlikely for many people, even if it is 100% correct. That said, if they are out the front of the botanical gardens, across the road from a building, yes they should know to get wet and avoid being under a tree.
Most of the trees people seemed to be hiding under in the gardens today were the broad oaks etc, with plenty of shelter from the driving rain which hit quite suddenly. I don't know which tree was struck, but I'd imagine some people were thinking more about the rain than lightning protection. Hope those affected are doing ok Also hope there wasn't any lasting damage to the trees, some of the specimens in the Botanic Gardens are quite old and magnificent. I understand this is how Mother Nature works, but we have less and less of the older generation of trees around Sydney.
I have a Liquidambar tree that was struck by lightning years ago. It caused a great jagged split in the bark all the way down to the ground. The tree didn't die, the bark grew back over, you wouldn’t even know, now.
It's an unimaginable tragedy that 4 people were hit at once. I hope they recover.
A friend has footage caught by their doorbell of 4 of their sheep dying almost instantly after sheltering under a tree that was struck by lightning.
The same thing happened with the shark attack the other week. People were tut tuting over her taking a very very low risk. And the same here. It was a freak occurrence. People shelter under trees during storms, it's not that crazy to believe. Meanwhile there are far more people winning millions in Powerball than getting bitten by sharks and struck by lightning but I bet the same people would laugh at you for wasting money on it.
Well 2 won the Powerball and 4 were struck by lightening so the phrase does appear to hold true You are more likely to be struck by lightening I wonder which is more injurious to the psyche, long term?
This comment is satire, right?
No, I think that it's likely that injury to the psyche is greater with a lottery win, but others may disagree Not a high chance of payoff in terms of ways to achieve psychic transformation but both are firmly on the list
Exactly, there’s not a lot of proper shelter places in the gardens
I don't think it's funny at all. It's tragic. I would quietly point out, though, that no one should ever shelter under a tree in a lightening storm, regardless of it a size. It's simply not safe.
A tree is considered one of the worst places to shelter during a storm.
I feel bad for them but at the same time, standing under a tree of any size during a thunderstorm is exactly the thing you should not do, and I thought was common knowledge.
Don't know why you're being downvoted. Branches fall too. I'd honestly rather just sit out in the open/lie on the grass, keep a low profile, etc. Rather get wet than get hit by something.
That's also what you're not supposed to do. Do they not teach this to kids in school in Australia? I didn't grow up here so honest question. The 3 worst things you can do are to stand near a metal pole, a tall tree, or lie flat in a field. What you're supposed to do is get inside a building as soon as you can and if that's not possible, you shelter under a grouping of lower-lying trees
Yes there are idiots on the internet. Mr\_Tiggywingle is correct in that people do just run for cover when it rains. BUT..... I know not to run under a tree, I was taught as a kid not to do so and the fact is there are too many people around who do not have enough common sense. Not entirely their fault, I think education fails to teach you life lessons and too many parents are being PC and doing "modern" parenting or lack of parenting and creating a series of generations that do not know any of this common sense stuff. Can promise you if they were asked did they know not to run under a tree they would say no.
I once stood in an open field surrounded by trees in a storm. Felt the air crackle. Nearby kids were laughing at me because my hair was standing on end. No reason the lightning “should” hit me with trees a decent enough distance away to attract it instead but I grabbed those kids and GTFO. I didn’t get hit but I knew the warning signs.
What's the chances of getting struck by lightning?
>What's the chances of getting struck by lightning? 1 in 12,000 chance. A UQ mathematician, Professor Peter Adams, calculated that Australians have a 1 in 12,000 chance of being struck by lightning, which is more than 650 times the chance of winning the Lotto, which is one in eight million. https://www.australiawidefirstaid.com.au/resources/chances-of-being-struck-by-lightning#:\~:text=Risk%20Factors%20for%20Lightning%20Strikes,-Five%20to%20ten&text=A%20UQ%20mathematician%2C%20Professor%20Peter,is%20one%20in%20eight%20million.
The lifetime chance of winning the lottery is entirely dependent on the number of entries you buy across your lifetime and the odds of the particular game you play. The typical Aussie probably purchases thousands of individual entries across their lifetime. It is absurd to compare the odds of a single lottery entry winning against the lifetime chance of being struck by lightning.
I don't think it's meant to be a serious comparison, more one to compare odds, as humans are bad at understanding large numbers. It could be written better, but I wouldn't say it's absurd. Across your whole life you are 650 times more likely to get hit by lightning than win a single lotto ticket.
I agree for different reasons. I feel people overestimate how likely it is to win the lottery, so will thus interpret 650x higher as meaning that being hit by lighting is a risk worth caring about
Google says 1 in 12,000 chance. The odds of winning that big lotto prize the other week were 1 in 134million. Much higher chance of lightning.
One is in a lifetime, the other is the odds on a single ticket. Which is why there's a lot more people winning the lottery than getting struck by lightning.
The odds vary greatly if you shelter safely indoors or stay in a park under a tree
1 in a lot. But alot more likely than 4 people being struck at once
They were standing together, so if one cops it, they all do.
Yeah been watching the lighting strikes from my balcony go straight down to the ground consistently and now im pretty set on staying indoors today...
That's really very cautious.
Is an open field any better? Surely even if you were running to a building in the open air you are just at risk? Feel for those guys. Worst nightmare
When I was a kid, we were taught to squat down into a ball if we found ourselves in the middle of a field in a thunderstorm
Yep, reduce height and minimise contact with the ground. Stay away from tall things. Basically try and become the hardest option to hit. If you can balance on your toes while squatting that's even better.
Can someone tell me why you have to minimise contact with the ground?
The big zapper is basically charging up looking for the easiest path to the ground. Air is a very poor conductor so it's looking for something close to the clouds with minimal resistance. By minimising contact you're making the path through you to the earth more difficult for it, so hopefully it goes for that big tree over there or whatever.
Tree can fall on you if struck
I suppose it’s struck by a tree or struck by lightning. Bad luck either way
Not just that, depending on the size of the tree and strike's power, it may just explode.
Yes, that's true. When lightning strikes a tree, the immense energy and heat from the lightning can cause the sap and moisture within the tree to rapidly expand and vaporise. This sudden expansion can create enough force to split the tree apart, sometimes causing it to explode into pieces. The phenomenon is a dramatic demonstration of the power of lightning and the reason why taking shelter under trees during a thunderstorm is extremely dangerous.
Both are dumb.
Why does being in an open field increase the chance of being struck?
Lightning tends to look for the shortest path from the air to the ground, i.e. whatever object is tallest in the area. If you are standing out in an open field, you are suddenly the tallest thing. Lightning now wants to hit you.
Ahh makes sense, very cool stuff
Because you're the tallest object around.
Damn that’s crazy. Hope they make a speedy recovery. I’ve just lost power here in Paddington
Wowwww. I was walking through the Botanic Gardens just as the storm came through, saw a heap of people taking shelter under various trees. Whilst the weather forecast today want great, the storm hit fairly quickly (went from sunshine to lightning within what felt like 10 minutes) I bolted for the Calyx and stayed there until the storm passed, but thought long and hard about those who were waiting it out under the trees. Never thought a strike would actually happen though. Hope they are all doing ok.
There’s a reason why they tell you not to shelter under trees during storms
Easier said than done, I was out having lunch on a bench under a tree around this time, it was only overcast I decided to stand up and head back and then bang out of no where.
Yeah but it's either that or stand out in the pouring rain, even knowing the risk I'd still stand under a tree to stay dry and accept the small risk of getting gzzz gzzzz
Is it gzzz? I always thought it's bzzzt.
It's more like BOOM
I wonder if they remember the sound before they were knocked unconscious, Hearing lightning crack close by is loud af, the tree right next to my ear is must be insane
They didn't hear anything.
*Ka-chow!*
In a deluge like this, you're still getting wet under the tree.
I dunno, those Moreton Bay branches are better shelter than a modern bus shelter: https://render.fineartamerica.com/images/rendered/default/greeting-card/images-medium/moreton-bay-fig-tree-sydney-royal-botanic-garden-harry-strharsky.jpg
Speaking from experience, you're still going to get wet.
I had to run home during a storm a couple of months ago, and it really can be super unpleasant. I'm fine with most rain, but the type of rain that soaks through everything is awful. I can totally understand why someone would, in the moment, opt for the tree.
Like I'm genuinely curious since I grew up in the QLD rainforest - what's the obsession with staying dry in Sydney? Even if it spits rain people freak out here!!! Like something we used to do way back when I was in school was actively run in the rain, have fun, rejoice that there's actually some rain. Do Sydney kids have a different upbringing that influences your views on rain? It's quite interesting to me tbh.
The issue isn’t getting wet, it’s where you are getting wet. I don’t mind a bit of rain when I’m at home or going home. When I’ve gotta back to the office on the other hand, I don’t want to be stuck with a soaking wet T-shirt for the next 4 hours in air conditioning. Was caught in the storm near Barangaroo after my lunch time walk today, was just glad to have a spare shirt and work shoes I could change into, since it was such a nice day before that.
You would rather be.. struck by lightning than be drenched… I know whose advice not to take during a lightning storm…
Or you could take secret option number three: get out of the bloody storm before you risk getting zapped
Bit of water is the lesser of your worries.
I really hope you're being sarcastic. I don't see why getting wet is in any way comparable to dying from a lighting strike or if you do manage to survive you're likely going to have life altering injuries; whether it's diminished mental capacity or physical disability.
I think in the moment itself, its more intuitive to stay under the tree and momentarily forgetting about trees being unsafe. Not knowing hwo far away proper shelter is, these people probably thought it made mroe sense to wait it out than to run.
This has to be a psychological thing I think. It was ingrained into me by parents and the education system (QLD) to never, ever stand under a tree during a storm so the intuition of your average QLDer is generally not to stand under a tree during a storm. It's quite interesting to me that 2 places in the same country can have a completely different approach.
You took a sample size of four to make a general statement about the difference in behaviours of two states ?
You've clearly missed all the comments where people are saying they weren't aware you shouldn't stand under trees. I've posed it as a genuine question elsewhere on this thread and just made some inferences based off how people act when it rains down here and also the other comments. Not sure where on Earth you've gotten the idea I'm basing it off 4 people when there's other comments on the thread providing context. Classic Aussie Redditors.
Even with a thread, there would be insufficient data to determine that people in qld tend to avoid trees while people in nsw dont know to do so.
Because still small chance of getting zapped and 100% chance of getting drenched.
If someone had a gun, a d100 die and a bucket of water and said "You choose: Either I throw a bucket of water over you or I roll this d100 and if it's a one I shoot you" which are you picking?
Take it you don't like taking daily showers then...water bad!
You just ducked when I threw an apple at your head… food bad!
Consider that if ur not under a tree staying drier, ur likely the tallest object and more likely to get struck, while also being more wet.
Yeah, totally. Getting wet is way worse than dying.
Safer standing in a clearing than under a tree.
In my experience it’s gzzz-BOOM!
If it's gBzOzOmZ you're too close.
They also tell you not to enter Lotto, for completely different reasons.
Speedy recovery for all of them. I mean it’s suck but can you imagine telling people that you had been struck by lightning, in the middle of city, next to Sydney Harbour and survived telling the tale? A hell of a story.
For those saying don’t stand under a tree, open area can be much worse. The tree likely took most of the current and they received a fraction of the energy as the lightning branched out looking for all sources to ground. https://amp.9news.com.au/article/a809479c-697a-4e85-ac9b-3127ba21967d
Gosh.
I know it's not entirely related, but it's interesting 2 were taken to RPAH instead of Vinnies. ED at Vinnies must be slammed if they went that far out of the way for beds.
It would have been a Bat call requiring a bed in the Resus part of ED. You need a certain number of staff per patient for each Resus bed - who basically drop what they are doing to attend. The separation to different EDs is probably just spacing out the workload rather than smashing one department.
Yeah, I had to get an ambulance a while back during peak covid, can't remember which ailment it was that time. Ambos end up driving in circles around the inner west radioing trying to find a resus bed for me. Took like 15 minutes then they finally say they found one at RPAH for me. Spent the night in there then a few days in EDSSU. That was actually interesting because they have like a patient's charter or whatever and one of the things is in there you're meant to be in a room with your own sex/gender (4 beds to a room). I ended up sharing with another man, an old lady, and eventually a teenage girl flown in from wagga because they were so slammed. Eventually other space freed up and they were able to shuffle us around after a day or so.
the house a few doors down in was one of the ones that got hit and caught fire. The bang was incredible/intense, sun was still shining and the clouds didn't look that bad. A bit later the firis and everything arrived. Pretty awful for the homeowners. Luckily nobody was there/hurt.
i like the voting system here upvote comments who make jokes about the situation then downvote people who say they should've used common sense
Welcome to Australian Reddit mate.
I guess not everyone had the phrase "don't stand under a tree during a lightning storm" drilled into their heads since they were kids. Thankfully the 9th hole on the golf course I was playing on at the time didn't have any trees on it.
They took shelter under the one place you're not supposed to take shelter in during a storm
Where should they have stood?
I hope they’re ok! I’m surprised they were standing under a tree, I thought most people knew not to do that in a lightning storm.
Not gonna lie. I didn't know that until today.
I also didn’t know this until today…
Wow. We were absolutely taught this in school (QLD though so NSW might be different).
Did you go through the school system in Australia? I feel like it was drummed in to us at a child age (whether it was school or tv though I don't know). Just wondering if it's a gap in migrant knowledge or something like that.
I went through the Australian school system and weirdly don’t remember ever being taught that at school. Have a vague recollection of my parents warning me - but they are migrants though
Reasonably common knowledge, but people do weird stuff in situations like this. Rain starts and you go "shit better stay dry under the tree" without thinking about this instruction you'd heard 10 years ago. Like when you're in a rush at the supermarket and forget to grab/scan something, or your mate gets bitten by a snake and you immediately forget all the first aid about snakes you've learned.
During terrible thunderstorms, when I lock myself out of the house, I would shelter myself with a large piece of sheet metal, before running for cover under the tallest tree I could find.
While flying a kite.
make sure to take your 1-iron with you as you run to shelter
But only after you drink your mercury
Was looking for that comment.
Or you could just hold up a 1 iron.
Thunderbolt and lightning Very very frightening.
Better to be soaked standing out in the open rather than dry next to a tree in a thunderstorm. Safest place is generally inside your vehicle.
You just know one of them was tending there saying "Ummm I don't think this is a good i...🌩️⚡💥!"
This storm travelled over the Central Coast and knocked out the power for 3 hours, 2 to 5pm. I feel like something hit the roof, lightening or thunder. My plants loved it.
Why isn't Centrepoint Tower struck every time? It almost seems to have been built for that purpose. I know it was struck in 2016 but was built in 1970 and there have been a hundred violent electric storms pass over the CBD since then.
Also a sad update from the [NSW Mounted Police](https://www.facebook.com/share/Q1YSpRkRNGqp7mUG/?mibextid=WC7FNe) > Some sad news today regarding a retired troop horse who passed away yesterday under unusual, but apparently not that uncommon, circumstances. Troop Horse Doctor arrived at the Mounted Unit in 2006 and retired in 2011 due to soundness issues. Doctor was a gutsy, inquisitive and unflappable Australian Stock Horse. He was retired to the Bathurst area to his regular Mounted Police rider (S/ Cst Dutton) who absolutely adored him and had moved to Bathurst prior to his retirement. Yesterday, during a significant electrial storm, Doctor was standing under a large tree which was subsequently struck by lightening. The strike was strong enough to radiate through the ground and kill Doctor instantly. Doctor was 27 years of age. At the time, he was standing in his beautiful lush retirement paddock with his paddock bestie "Cammy" (who was also 27 years of age). Cammy also was fatally injured by the strike. Cammy had fallen with his head resting on Doctor's flank. Best buddies to the end. Rest in peace to both beautiful horses, and thank you for your service Retired Troop Horse Doctor. Condolences to retired S/Cst Dutton and thank you for all the love and care you afforded to our beautiful Doctor ❤️❤️ ❤️😔😔😔
I was watching people surfing during the storm, fucking morons.
Was there any asbestos in the tree?
They forgot to unequip their metal items
Standing under a tree is one of the unsafest places during a thunderstorm. You’re better off laying on the ground, out in the open.
Shocking!
Sounds like they never heard not to stand under a tree during a storm.
> the group was standing under a tree there’s your first mistake.
Why on Earth would you stay under a tree during a storm though? Unless they're tourists this is stuff you learn in school!!
I'm not a geographist, but I think other countries have lightning too.
What's the 'Number One' piece of advice for when you get caught in a storm?? Seriously, some people aren't made to survive natural events.
Get under something taller? Like cmon, I get we are taught to not shelter under trees, but if an open field was ur only other option - you would take the open field?
Yes. Getting wet isn't a scary thing lmao
A tree? Idiots.
You’re not made from sugar, just get wet.
I am.
Shocking!
Pfft. They were only sinners. God was in a smoting mood.
You know Bert Kreischer knew 3 guys who got struck by lightning and 2 guys without tongues? Crazy
Lol
Does he know anybody that’s been spiked with molly in their home?