The powerful natural phenomenon of lightning and thunder has fascinated people since the beginning of mankind. For a long time, the enormous force of a thunderstorm was believed to be a supernatural power and humans felt themselves at its mercy. Since the Age of Enlightenment and the advancement of technology, this heavenly spectacle has been scientifically investigated. In 1752, Benjamin Franklin’s experiments proved that the phenomenon of lightning is an electrical charge.

Thunderstorm hazards

Meteorological estimations say that about 9 billion lightning flashes occur each day around the world, most of them in the tropics. Nevertheless, the incidents of damage reported as a result of direct or indirect lightning effects is on the rise.