Mobile phone use during thunderstorms

[cezene]

People should not use mobile phones outdoors during thunderstorms because of the risk of being struck by lightning.

Doctors have reported the case of a 15-year-old girl who was using her phone in a park when she was hit during a storm. Although she was revived, she suffered persistent health problems and was using a wheelchair a year after the accident.

Researchers from the Northwick Park Hospital, England, said that usually when someone is struck by lightning, the high resistance of the skin conducts the flash over the body in what is known as a flashover.
But if a metal object, such as a phone, is in contact with the skin it disrupts the flashover and increases the odds of internal injuries and death. They added that three fatal cases of lightning striking people while using mobile phones have been reported in newspapers in China, South Korea and Malaysia.

The Australian Lightning Protection Standard recommends that metallic objects, including cordless or mobile phones, should not be used (or carried) outdoors during a thunderstorm.

This rare phenomenon is a public health issue, and education is necessary to highlight the risk of using mobile phones outdoors during stormy weather to prevent future fatal consequences from lighting strike injuries.

[Sarensa]

Hey, thankx for the information.