Analysis of 10 years of human related accidents due to lightning over France and Europe
This study was published in La Météorologie.
Abstract
A study of 215 human lightning accidents over the last ten years is being carried out in twenty European countries.
Nearly 3 out of 5 victims were involved in leisure activities
and 1 out of 5 in the workplace.
An in-depth study is also being conducted on the 56 French cases.
The results in terms of their predictability show that most of the thunderstorms that caused accidents can be anticipated and are rarely sudden or unpredictable.
Furthermore, it is mostly thunderstorms of low to moderate intensity with relatively slow movement that are the cause.
Thus, most of them occur by “yellow” meteorological vigilance.
In order to mitigate the risk efficiently, it is necessary to be able to assess the real danger, even in the case of a first-level warning, and to apply appropriate behaviors to reduce the risk in case of approaching thunderstorms.
