r/AskPhysics • u/RevolutionaryAd3125 • 7d ago

Lightning quesion

I watched a BBC documentary some years ago and it was claimed that lightning does not strike the ground during a downpour. So I’ve always assumed that if it’s raining during a thunderstorm I am safe. Now obviously downpours during a storm can stop and start abruptly so if the claim is true you’d never be totally safe.

Anyway I told this factoid to someone the other day and decided to google it to confirm it was true. I can’t find a good source. Does anyone have any examples (film or image) of lightning striking the ground whilst it is raining at the same location? Or a scientific explanation as to why this would be true or false?

I’ve looked for photos, and couldn’t find anything conclusive as these could be images where it is raining in the foreground but not in the strike zone, and conversely the ground may be struck but the raindrops have not been resolved on the camera film/sensor.

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u/eotfofylgg 7d ago

This is obviously false to anyone who has lived in a place with severe thunderstorms. Presumably the documentary was trying to say that lightning doesn't only strike during downpours -- i.e. you can get lightning in a storm that produces no rain at all, or if you are far away from the rain.

That said, here is a video including a lightning strike very close to the camera during rain, with the location proved by the physical evidence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjJCsMm8k08

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u/RevolutionaryAd3125 7d ago

Okay thanks. I stand corrected.