If lightning hits the structure, it will preferentially strike the rod and be conducted to ground through a wire, instead of passing through the structure, where it could start a fire or cause electrocution. Lightning rods are also called finials, air terminals, or strike termination devices.

While lightning rods help protect a structure from a direct lightning strike, a complete lightning protection system is needed to help prevent harmful electrical surges and possible fires caused by lightning entering a structure via wires and pipes.

Statistically, lightning is the most commonly experienced weather hazard. If you live in a very tall home, have trees taller than your home less than 10 feet away from its structure, or live in an area with a high lightning strikes, however, installing a lightning rod is recommended. …

Rain might ruin a picnic, but when it comes to air pollution, it can actually be a really good thing. This is because, on rainy days, most of the common air pollutants and pollen in the air are washed away, helping to increase the quality of the air.

Lightning is an impressive force of nature. It is as beautiful as it is dangerous. The brilliant white-blue flash of lightning is caused by its extreme heat. A lightning bolt is hotter than the surface of the sun.

Some of the O atoms combine with O2, producing O3: ozone. It’s unusual to get large concentrations of ozone at the surface, and it has a distinct scent. It is noticeable right after a lightning strike. Odds are, you’ve smelled lightning-produced ozone before.

The rapid heating and cooling of the gases within a lightning bolt produces nitric oxide (NO), which combines with oxygen to create nitrogen dioxide (NO2), especially when it’s moving downwind. …

Although lightning is a beautiful, natural phenomena, it is also very powerful, dangerous and deadly. According to the National Severe Storms Laboratory, energy from lightning heats the air anywhere from 18,000 to 60,000 degrees Fahrenheit.