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Does lightning ever hit water?

By DAN ROBINSON
Editor/Photographer
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Yes. Lightning can hit water just as easily as it can on dry land. Since water is a good electrical conductor, current from a strike can travel far from the strike point. For this reason, swimming during a storm or while storms are nearby is dangerous. Another reason swimming during a storm isn't safe is because the swimmer is protruding from the surface of the water, somewhat increasing the probability of a direct hit from a nearby strike. If you are caught outside during a thunderstorm, you should stay away from large bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, and oceans.

Danny Phelps' web site has a picture of lightning striking water on the ocean.

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Storm chaser and photographer Dan Robinson
About the Author: Dan Robinson has been a storm chaser, photographer and cameraman for 33 years. His career has involved traveling around the country covering the most extreme weather on the planet including tornadoes, hurricanes, lightning, floods and winter storms. Dan has been extensively published in newspapers, magazines, web articles and more, and has both supplied footage for and appeared in numerous television productions and newscasts. He has also been involved in the research community, providing material for published scientific journal papers on tornadoes and lightning.

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Storm Highway by Dan Robinson
Storm chasing, photography and the open roadClick for an important message
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