Lightning distance estimation?

[xelasnave]

How can you estimate how far lightning is away ...flash:eyepop:...one thousand, two thousand, three thousand ..bang:scared:... so how many klms:shrug:?
alex:):):)

[sheeny]

G"Day Alex,

the speed of sound is about 320m/s, so 3 seconds is about 1 km.

Al.

[leon]

I was told when very young that each count, one, two, three, etc was a mile, so when we saw the flash we counted and if it reached to eight, or something like that before the rumble, it was 8 miles away :shrug:

But that is what mum said, so i suppose she knew :lol: other than that i don't have a clue :whistle:

Leon :thumbsup:

[sheeny]

Correction: 344m/s http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_sound

:whistle:

It's still about 1 km for every 3 seconds!;) (or "three thousands"):lol:

Al.

[xelasnave]

Thanks Leon:thumbsup: , thanks Al:thumbsup:
So its a lot closer than I thought:eyepop::scared:..

Al have a great trip by the way:thumbsup::thumbsup:.
Bon voyagey.

alex:):):)

[Astroman]

its said 3 seconds to a KM but in real life this can be affected by atmospheric conditions ie.. wind, dust, rain etc... Sometimes strikes dont produce a definate beginning and end so it is hard to judge. I have also encountered thunderless lightning, where the sound does not reach the observer at all, due to various reasons I have no idea on :)

[sheeny]

Sometimes that can be due to just prevailing winds and distance (where the wind is passing from you towards the lightning) but most time it is truly "soundless" is due to air temperature or density gradients that curve the sound waves up away from the surface. (The opposite effect to temperature inversions that let you listen to normal conversations across a still lake some kilometres away... Tuggerah Lakes is great for that!)

Al.

[sheeny]

Thanks Alex. I intend to!:)

Al.

[citivolus]

If the hair melts off your head, you're too close.

Twice I've been within 15m of ground strikes. Fortunately, they missed. One hit the truck beside me in a parking lot, and the other hit the bridge I was driving across at the time. With the bridge strike I had my window down. My ears rang for a while after that.

The bang hits you before your brain has processed the flash.

I've also been on aircraft when they were struck, once over Pakistan and once over the US. I don't care to repeat that.

That is four strikes way too close. Don't stand near me in a storm :P
Eric

[ballaratdragons]

I was brought up with the same theory that Leon mentioned. Each second was a mile.

Now I teach my kids that each second is a kilometre :P

So much for correct metric conversion :rofl:
I have brought the lightning closer :lol:

[leon]

Gee's Eric, I'll make sure I never travel with you. :lol:

Leon :thumbsup:

[xelasnave]

As I said in the near death thing one got me.. I sure heard the bang before it knocked me out...and I am terrified when it is going on..up home on the mountain strikes seem to happen all along the ridge...freaks me bad.
There was lightning here today I was scared the dogs were also and I was counting to only three between the flash and the crash.
I would love to see one of those maps that record the strikes so I can worry more...

alex
alex

[ballaratdragons]

Here ya go Alex, a lightning strike map.

just scroll down the page and look for your area.

It seems that Brisbane is getting hammered by lightning at the moment!

http://www.hudsoft.com/nexstorm/

[xelasnave]

Thanks Ken I am going home tomorrow... maybe after a peek at map I may stay here... I hate it.

alex

[ballaratdragons]

and here is a current map of the whole state!

9,944 strikes in 24 hours!!!

[xelasnave]

You can see a little trail down the mountain range I am on and there is a big strike pretty well at my place..well as good as you can tell . North of the border looks insane.

alex

[xelasnave]

Is there any map showing just the Northern rivers Ken? Tabualm maybe???


alex

[xelasnave]

That sure is a lot of strikes isnt it???
Is that normal?
alex

[ballaratdragons]

:shrug: What's normal with weather?

[xelasnave]

I dont think I will leave the house now.
Thanks you probably saved my life .. its stupid but I get to thinking it is after me.. alone up there I think some crazy thoughts but looking at the map does not make me feel good at all.
alex

[Shawn]

Look at all that Energy going to waste. but I pretty much garantee that if the flash and the bang are simultanious, you in for a bad day....

[GrahamL]

thats true shawn ..when I was about 14 a friend and I were walking along in (sunshine ).. though there was a storm approaching ..I remember a blinding white flash/boom to my imediate right..we both freaked out and ran into each other knocking both of us down:lol:.. there was a guy over the road looking down on us just In stiches of laughter..I have no idea how close it was I'm thinking VERY ..lucky the rain hadn't started and the ground was still dry or
who knows what might of been the outcome.

[Dujon]

The speed of sound is 344 m/s (1238 km/h) or 1128 ft/s (769 mph) . . .

. . . where the medium of transmission is air and the temperature around the 20ºC mark. Hence, for rough calculations, 3 seconds between flash and boom is one kilometre to the source. 4.5 seconds gives you about a mile. These are very rough but usually enough for us poor sods who have trouble judging time in such small packets to guesstimate the distances.

Of course there are many variables. My rule of thumb is that if you hear the 'tearing' sound often associated with lightning then it's too bloomin' close.