Context:
Death toll due to lightning strikes rises to 24 in Gujarat.
About Lightning:
- An electrical discharge caused by imbalances between storm clouds and the ground, or within the clouds themselves.
- How does lightning occur?
- The discharges originate from massive clouds that carry moisture.As the water vapor ascends within the cloud, it transforms into tiny ice crystals due to the decreasing temperature.These crystals continue their upward journey, accumulating mass until they become too heavy and begin their descent towards Earth.This results in a collision between the smaller ice crystals moving upwards and the larger ones descending.These collisions lead to the liberation of electrons, and these free electrons instigate more collisions.Consequently, the cloud’s top layer acquires a positive charge, while the middle layer becomes negatively charged, causing a flow between the layers.Compared to the cloud’s middle layer, the Earth takes on a positive charge.As a consequence, some of the current is directed towards Earth.
- It is this current flow that causes harm to life and property on Earth.
- Types of lightning –
- Intra-cloud lightning occurs between opposite charges within the cloud
- Inter-cloud lightning occurs between Cloud-to-Cloud
- Cloud-to-ground lightning occurs between opposite charges in the cloud and on the ground.
- National Disaster Management Authority guidelines –
- Early warning and Communication, lightning incidents can be detected by the ground-based Lightning Detection Network in real time.
- Prevention, Mitigation, and Preparedness Measures, including Emergency Plans, installing lightning arrestors, etc.
Source: Indian Express
Previous Year Question
During the thunderstorm, the thunder in the skies is produced by the
1. meeting of cumulonimbus clouds in the sky
2. lightning that separates the nimbus clouds
3. violent upward movement of air and water particles
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2013 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 3
(d) None of the above produces the thunder
Answer: (d)
