Why lightning danger increases in summer and what should be done when a storm approaches

The explanations and advice of Sante Laviola, researcher at the Institute of Atmospheric and Climate Sciences

On the day Abruzzo was overwhelmed by a lightning storm – at least three people were injured on the beach of Alba Adriatica – the expert from the Cnr Isac of Bologna, Sante Laviola, warns about the danger of summer storms.AtHandle, the researcher from the Institute of Atmospheric and Climate Sciences reports that «July and August are the months where the majority of these phenomena are concentrated».And remember the historical series - of the last 10 years - of lightning that struck Italy:«In all of 2022 there were 5 million and 500 thousand, in 2018 even 7 million, a record from 2015 to today».In August 2018 alone, 3 million lightning strikes struck the ground.

Lightning danger, because it increases in summer

«Lightning – explains Laviola – is more connected to hailstorms or thunderstorms where the clouds are full of ice.And this happens especially in the summer period when the clouds arrange themselves vertically in the atmosphere and can reach up to 10 kilometers in altitude, filling with ice.The cloud essentially charges like an electrical conductor and this gives rise to lightning."And with climate change "everything is amplified", he adds.During the summer holidays, then, the risks for people increase due to the proximity to bodies of water, but also due to the presence of trees for those who practice mountain tourism.

Lightning danger, what to do

«All pointed structures attract lightning, even we humans are a point», warns Laviola.Therefore, it is important to take cover when you hear lightning approaching.«First of all, we need to get out of the water.Then you have to take shelter in a closed structure, which can be either a bar or the beach establishment itself, but also the car that shields you from lightning."We must always be aware that lightning "constitutes a real danger, causing a very strong electric discharge and generating almost instantaneous electrocution accompanied by combustion, even if you are not directly hit".

Cover photo:Giovanni Barnaba/Ansa | Monopoli, 6 March 2024