Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => The Environment => Topic started by: neilep on 27/10/2006 20:14:46

Title: Can lightning strike sideways?
Post by: neilep on 27/10/2006 20:14:46
Gentlemen....and girlies ! *giggle*


It's rare(ish) i know but when circumstances prevail lightning strikes can be horizontal within the clouds.

How do they dissipate ?...does lightning not need to strike something to release it's charge ?
Title: Re: Sideways lightning !
Post by: iko on 27/10/2006 22:41:44
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ficons.wunderground.com%2Fdata%2Fwximagenew%2Fd%2Fdrdoppler%2F15.jpg&hash=a025ffae5be5c941302c7b7f4134ab50)
http://icons.wunderground.com/data/wximagenew/d/drdoppler/15.jpg

Hi neilep!
If this happens...probably those clouds have different electrical charges...
Talking about experts (!!)...I used to fix radios and TVsets years ago!
How is your knee doing?
Are you trying the horizontal lightning therapy?
Have fun

ikod


Did you read this?
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.islandnet.com%2F%7Esee%2Fweather%2Fgraphics%2Fphotos%2Fltgngohd.gif&hash=768675ad7a65910acd52cd4957ee7cbf)(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftn3-2.deviantart.com%2F300W%2Ffs7.deviantart.com%2Fi%2F2005%2F157%2Fa%2Fe%2FHorizontal_Lightning_by_aaaaliciaaaaa.jpg&hash=44dea787689156afd1af88e0cc3ad5f2)

...The combined effects of scattering, attenuation, refraction and, in most cases, reflection, limit the distances at which thunder may be heard by a ground-based observer. Although this distance varies with the temperature gradient, wind speed and the height of the lightning flash, thunder generally will not be heard further than 10 to 25 kilometres (6 to 15 miles) from the lightning bolt. This effect is best observed in the phenomenon known as heat lightning, where lightning from distant thunderstorm cells is visible (usually as in-cloud and between-cloud flashes) but from which no thunder is heard by the observer. Such events are common during hot humid weather when thunderstorms are widely scattered across an a region.

from: http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/elements/thunder2.htm




Title: Re: Sideways lightning !
Post by: neilep on 28/10/2006 00:17:09
Hi Iko,

THANK YOU for this wonderful information and wonderful photos.

My knee ?...still aching I'm afraid !!..LOL...I wish I was having lightning therapy !!..do you think the next time there is a thunder storm I should try and donate my leg as a lightning conductor ?...perhaps that will fix it !!.......by eliminating the leg altogether !!  [;D]
Title: Re: Sideways lightning !
Post by: iko on 28/10/2006 16:57:42
Hi neilep,
I think you need to be visited by an orthopedic (and you know it).
Just imagine to be a soccer player...you would have been fixed days ago and running again as fast as a rocket!  Do you have orthopedics in London? (Wooah!)
Even our NHS can fix these things with MRI and eventually arthroscopy for little money.
Once they tell you what it is, you may even choose to let it heal by itself...sometimes it's like that, but at least you KNOW what you have done to your knee!
I am sure you need both your legs working for another 50yrs or more.
They start doing funny things if one knee is not ok.
Take care

ikod

Post Scriptum:
 DO NOT TAKE CLO:  this is one of the few conditions that do not benefit from cod liver oil caps.
Title: Re: Sideways lightning !
Post by: neilep on 28/10/2006 17:05:30
Hi neilep,
I think you need to be visited by an orthopedic (and you know it).
Just imagine to be a soccer player...you would have been fixed days ago and running again as fast as a rocket!  Do you have orthopedics in London? (Wooah!)
Even our NHS can fix these things with MRI and eventually arthroscopy for little money.
Once they tell you what it is, you may even choose to let it heal by itself...sometimes it's like that, but at least you KNOW what you have done to your knee!
I am sure you need both your legs working for another 50yrs or more.
They start doing funny things if one knee is not ok.
Take care

ikod

THANK YOU SO MUCH......Yes we have orthopedic..*le sigh*....oh...!!..do i really have to get a doctor involved ?...oh well.!!..I think I know the answer.....let me see how this weekend goes.......THANK YOU IKO....I appreciate your advice many much !!
Title: Re: Sideways lightning !
Post by: Karen W. on 29/10/2006 04:13:20
Good boy... Listen to your friends!
Title: Re: Sideways lightning !
Post by: Karen W. on 01/11/2006 03:27:52
When it strikessideways like that, can it hit another bolt of lightning! Or is that just really dumb!
Title: Re: Can lightning strike sideways?
Post by: Monox D. I-Fly on 02/05/2019 03:58:41
Post Scriptum:
 DO NOT TAKE CLO:  this is one of the few conditions that do not benefit from cod liver oil caps.
Why?
Title: Re: Can lightning strike sideways?
Post by: alancalverd on 02/05/2019 11:30:51
Dunno about fish guts, but some clouds have positive charge at the top, some negative, so inter-and intra-cloud discharge is much more common than cloud-to-ground, which needs a very tall cloud with a low base.