Is getting caught in the rain a life-saving measure to avoid lightning strikes? This study tells you the truth

What do you fear most on a rainy day? Many people would answer that it is lightning strikes.

In the traditional cognition of many people, in thunderous weather, once we are drenched by rain, our bodies will become like a "magnet", attracting the "attention" of lightning even more. After all, isn't natural water a conductor of electricity? Therefore, in thunderous days, once we are drenched by rain, we will be more anxious and rush to find a place to avoid lightning. However, a recent study has overturned this cognition -

The most feared thing on rainy days is lightning strikes

Recently, a study was published in the journal Scientific Reports, which showed that scientists have found that when the head is wet, the electric shock damage may be much lower than when it is dry. Compared with the situation without rain, rain may increase the survival rate after lightning strike by 70% to 90%. This means that rain may not increase the risk of lightning strikes, but may play a protective role to some extent.

Are you surprised? Are you surprised?!

Model of a human head being electrocuted

So, what kind of experiment did this study use to reach its conclusion? Not to mention, the experimental process is quite interesting!

In order to find out the truth, the researchers carefully built two human head models using a magical material called "agarose" based on the CT scan data in their hands. They not only imitated the structure of the human brain, skull and scalp, but also cleverly added different proportions of sodium chloride, carbon black and graphite to make the corresponding structure have the same conductivity and relative dielectric constant as the real situation. This is like applying "magic paint" to the models, giving them the same electrical properties as real people.

Human head model subjected to electric shock in dry (left) and rainy (right) conditions (Image source: original paper)

Next, the researchers used a device equipped with four independent electrodes to conduct 10 electric shock tests with currents as high as 42kA and voltages as high as 12kV on a human head model that simulated dry and wet states!

Observational data show that although the total current intensity of the head will increase greatly when it is struck by lightning in the rain, the current is mainly in the scalp, followed by the brain and skull in the initial stage after the head is struck by electricity. When the scalp is dry, the current in the scalp accounts for 81.3% of the total current, and once the scalp becomes wet, this proportion increases to 90.3%, and the average current almost doubles, jumping from 733.4A to 1410.3A. However, surprisingly, despite the increase in total current, the actual current flowing through the brain has decreased, an average decrease of 12.5%, and the specific energy has decreased by 32.5%.

After the shock, the researchers compared the dry and rain-soaked head models. They found that the dry head models were more severely damaged after the shock: not only did they have 9 obvious shock marks and 4 cracks, but the models also felt dry and bumpy. These models should have been soft and moist, just like real skin.

In comparison, the "rain" model was much luckier, with only four small perforations. Therefore, the researchers speculated that if struck by lightning after being "rained", the burns on the head would mainly appear in the scalp, not in the brain, and the degree of harm would be relatively low. It can be seen that compared with the dry situation, being struck by lightning, being rained on can protect the brain to a certain extent, not only reducing the current, but also reducing thermal and mechanical damage. Being rained on may not be a bad thing, at least for protecting the brain from lightning damage. You see, the mysteries of nature are really endless!

The study is not an isolated case

It is worth mentioning that the relevant experiment is not an isolated case. As early as 1986, researchers conducted an animal experiment and found that when the animal's skin is dry, its survival rate after being struck by lightning is only 30%, but if the skin is moist, the survival rate can be increased to 50%!

Scientists speculate that being caught in the rain may actually be a lifesaver. In addition to the reasons mentioned above, water on the skin has another "superpower" - it can evaporate and take away heat, making the body less hot. Imagine that it's like drinking an iced drink on a hot day and feeling much cooler! In addition, the water vapor may also take a little of the force of lightning away from the body, so that we will be less injured.

So, although being caught in the rain can be annoying, it can be a "little shield" for you when there is thunder and lightning. Of course, we can't deliberately get caught in the rain for protection, after all, safety is the most important thing. However, knowing these little scientific knowledge can at least make us feel more confident when facing natural disasters.

Tips for thunderstorms

The power of lightning should not be underestimated. However, through scientific prevention and response measures, we can effectively reduce the risk of lightning strikes.

During a thunderstorm, it is common sense to avoid open areas and high ground (especially when using communications in these areas) and stay away from large trees and tall buildings.

Lightning Strike

It is also very important to keep a certain distance from metal objects. Metal has good electrical conductivity and is easily attracted by lightning. Therefore, in thunderstorms, we should stay away from objects such as power lines, iron towers, flagpoles, metal railings, wire mesh, etc. outdoors; it is also best to take off metal accessories such as necklaces and earrings. Even indoors, we should try to stay away from walls, doors, windows, and metal equipment that may introduce lightning.

So should we stay away from water? Water itself does not attract lightning, and whether people are susceptible to lightning strikes depends more on their location and environmental factors rather than whether they are exposed to rain. However, due to the conductivity of water, it may become a channel for lightning conduction. When the human body is in water or near water, especially near open water such as swimming pools, beaches or lakes, it is necessary to be extra vigilant, as lightning may be conducted through the water surface, increasing the risk of lightning strike.

Although rain may help reduce the damage caused by lightning strikes, it is by no means a safe measure to prevent lightning strikes. So, next time you encounter thunderstorms, don't panic, don't be afraid, calmly avoid the minefield and find a safe place to avoid lightning strikes! Master these scientific tips to prevent lightning strikes, so that you can live more safely and comfortably on thunderstorm days.