Music players 'in lightning risk'

[Cheba_Mami]

although posted before about ipods, here's more news:

Doctors say sweat and metal earphones can channel lightning
Doctors in Vancouver, Canada, have warned that people who wear portable media players during a storm could be putting themselves at risk.
In a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine, they describe burns and hearing damage suffered by a patient hit by lightning while using his iPod.

The man, who was jogging in a storm, suffered burns to his chest and on his leg where he was wearing the player.

Doctors say the man's sweat and metal earphones helped channel the current.

Medical experts say electronic devices, such as music players or mobile phones, on their own do not attract lightning.

But in the Vancouver man's case, "the combination of sweat and metal earphones directed the current to, and through, the patient's head," wrote Drs Eric J Heffernan, Peter L Munk and Luck J Louis of Vancouver General Hospital.

Burst eardrums

The man's jaw was broken, probably by muscle contraction, say the doctors.

The current of electricity through his headphones caused the air in his ears to heat and expand, creating pressure waves which burst his eardrums.

The extra jolt of electricity through the wires of the man's music player caused second-degree burns all the way down his chest and to his left leg.

In addition, witnesses reported the man being thrown about eight feet (2.4m) after the lightning hit him, the doctors said.

The incident, which happened two years ago, has left the man with less than 50% hearing in both ears.

Several other cases of people suffering burns and hearing loss after being struck by lightning while wearing personal stereos have also been recorded

BBC NEWS | Americas | Music players 'in lightning risk'

[Cheba_Mami]

Mother and girl hit by lightning

About 1,000 homes in Norfolk had electricity cuts during the storm
A mother and daughter are recovering in hospital after being struck by a bolt of lightning which killed their dog while out walking in Norfolk.
The woman and teenage girl were walking their dog on Barnham Cross Common near Thetford just after lunchtime when the lightning bolt hit them.

The girl is believed to have taken most of the hit and was knocked unconscious.

The mother was not so badly injured but both were taken to West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds.

About 1,000 homes in Norfolk had electricity cuts during the thunderstorm on Tuesday but engineers restored power to all but a small handful of customers within 24 hours.

[Cheba_Mami]

WHO, WHAT, WHY?
The Magazine answers...


Thunderbolts and lightning can be very frightening, but how best to stay safe when a storm breaks? The recent hot weather has led to thunderstorms.

Thunderstorms are short, sharp and shocking - for some literally. For if you can hear the clouds rumbling, chances are the storm is close enough to for you to be struck by lightning - it can strike up to 10 miles away from the centre of a storm.

Count the seconds between seeing lightning and hearing thunder - if it's less than 30 seconds, there's a threat.

If thunderstorms are forecast, postpone or cancel outdoor activities - especially golf and rod fishing. If a storm is approaching, take cover inside or in a car with the windows wound up - sheds, isolated trees and convertibles do not afford sufficient protection.


What not to do
Boaters and swimmers should get to shore as quickly as possible, as water conducts electricity. So too do metal pipes and phone lines. Only make calls in an emergency, and best put off baths, showers and dish washing, in case lightning strikes the house and sends a jolt of electricity through the metal plumbing.

The Met Office also advises unplugging appliances, as lightning can cause power surges. If the lights go out, use a torch, rather than the naked flame of a candle. For this would pose quite a nasty fire risk.

Stay low

If caught outside in a thunderstorm, find a low spot away from trees, fences, and poles. If your skin tingles and hair stands on end, lightning is about to strike. Crouch down, balancing on the balls of your feet, placing hands on knees with head between them. This makes you into the smallest target possible, and minimises contact with the ground.

WHO, WHAT, WHY?

A feature to the BBC News Magazine - aiming to answer some of the questions behind the headlines
Do not put up an umbrella or use a mobile phone - the metal directs the current into the body. The British Medical Journal last month illustrated the dangers with the case of a 15-year-old struck while using her mobile - she suffered a cardiac arrest, burst eardrum and a year on she has to use a wheelchair.

If someone has been hit by lightning, call for help as they'll need urgent medical attention. It's safe to touch them - people struck by lightning carry no electrical charge that can shock other people.

Check for a pulse and for breathing - if you know first aid, begin artificial respiration and CPR if necessary. If they're breathing, check for other possible injuries. Lightning strike victims have burns in two places - where the electric shock entered and then left the body, usually the soles of the feet. They may have broken bones or loss of hearing or sight.

Be wary of venturing out too soon - the BBC Weather Centre advises waiting 30 minutes after the last flash, as over half of lightning deaths occur after the thunderstorm has passed.

While the forecast storms will bring much-needed rain to the parched South-East, the sudden dump of water poses the risk of flash flooding. If waters start to rise, head for higher ground. Don't try to drive to safety, as most flash flood deaths occur in vehicles.

And one final tip - it's a myth that lightning never strikes the same place twice. Now be careful out there.

BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | What to do in a thunderstorm?

[Bent_Bladi]

Wow - how scary....

Alhamdulilah there aren't that many storms here .

[Cheba_Mami]

lucky you

Am not an anti Ipod person, in fact i love them for the good music, i just wanted to show that all the thing we use (cellphones, musicplayers are cool but sometimes one has to be aware that it can be dangerous too)

And about the lightening, i never think much of it, till i heard people dying from it so suddenly like in this period. Thus people do not have to panic at all, just keep in mind where and how to hide if trapped in it. Chance is small though.

thus

What about tornados in your area?

[Bent_Bladi]

Do I look like some texan to you?! .... lol, jk

Nope, no tornados. I live next to the water - and there are a lot of earthquakes here (we're used to them so we kinda don't sense it anymore when they happen). But maybe if there was a gigantic earthquake in the ocean we could get a tsunami or something.

And when I go jogging, I take my sister w/ me... she's way more entertaining than an iPod ... ... I miss her

[Cheba_Mami]

awwww that's sad, well don't make yourself sad. search for ways to keep in touch videoconversations etc.