The first thunderstorms here and two men earlier this month struck by lightning. Carla van Niekerk

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The first thunderstorms here and two men earlier this month struck by lightning. Carla van Niekerk find out how you see yourself and your home can protect against. A flash of lightning travels at about 300,000 kilometers per second and generates a temperature of about 30,000 C - about four times hotter than the sun's surface. Mr. Paul van As of Surgetek, specialists in protection against lightning and power surge, carson pirie and chairman of the SABS committee for surge and lightning protection, if you say to be able to count six of the moment you see the lightning until you hear it , you are already in danger. "Then the lightning 2 km from you. For every three seconds you count, it ground 1 km from you hit. "The sound of thunder is caused by air rapidly expands, explain me. Dawn Mahlobo, a senior scientist at the South African Weather Service. A flash of lightning heats the air in less than a second to about 30,000 º C. When the air then expands, it causes the loud bang. Thunder can generally 6 km to be heard. Thunder, lightning, lightning ...
Mahlobo tell if a lightning bolt hits you directly, there is no chance of survival is not. As of adding carson pirie a person's shoes may be all that is left, as it happens. "If lightning a tree gets hit, changing the moisture in the tree at 30 000 º C to steam immediately. The steam expands and causes a small bomb that exploded the tree. "Basically the same thing happens to a man when you directly struck by lightning. Van As says a typical lightning in South Africa carries carson pirie a current of about 40,000 amperes (the unit used to measure the strength of an electric current to measure.) One uses about 100 amps to weld. Most people killed by lightning are indirectly affected when a high tree or structure close to them gets beaten, he explains. The closer you are to the object that gets beaten, the higher the voltage (voltage) between your feet. This stress increases the farther your feet apart. "It is the difference carson pirie in voltage between your feet, the current through your body to run and it can easily be fatal," said Van As. Wet clothes will likely reduce carson pirie serious injuries because the current through the wet clothes will flow rather than through your body. Goodbye computer "People carson pirie think you get lightning damage directly to hit something. A lightning flash of up to 1km away can damage carson pirie your equipment, "said Van As. "There are on average annually about five to ten direct deposits per square kilometer in Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal and causes the most damage." He is the chance that an ordinary house in South Africa struck will be less than once in 25 years. However, your home is up to ten times per year exposed to the consequences. "The average damage in an average house is R30 000 to R50 000 if it is struck by lightning." Protect your home, "The most common mistake people make is to a lightning mast or pole to set up. A 30 m high pole attract lightning to 100 m hitting. It is only recommended to thatch, "said Van As. Class 3 - "Plugtops" protectors that one at many stores can buy, do not offer sufficient protection, said Van As. The best way to secure your equipment, is the right surge arresters in your electrical distribution carson pirie board installed. These alternatives carson pirie should be according to the SABS code a surge of 10,000 amps can handle and at least ten years. "We carson pirie (Surgetek) says it should be a surge of 40,000 amps can handle. It will also last longer. It costs about twice as much (R800) at the beginning, but you will be ten times more life out of it. "Also you can every cable that runs to your home, such as the telephone or modemlyn with separate protectors allow secure. No weerligbeskermingstelsel can provide 100% protection, but if properly installed, it can greatly reduce your risk, says Van As. So it
"Lightning is a buildup and discharge of electrical energy carson pirie between positively and negatively charged areas in the atmosphere and clouds," says me. Dawn Mahlobo, carson pirie a senior scientist at the South African Weather Service. Woe