Published: 12:44 AM, 11 May 2026
Causes and Remedies for Lightning
Dr. Md. Anwar Hossain
When dense black clouds increase in the sky and the body gets wet with the moisture of the air, we witness a ruthless form of nature. The primitive man used to hide in caves when he heard the thunder, even in the era of modern science, that lightning flash creates equal terror in our minds. Today, under the guise of a fictional chat, we will discuss the origin story of this lightning and the ways to avoid it.
The clouds in the sky are actually huge electrical factories. When ice particles and water particles collide due to strong air currents inside the cloud, static electricity is generated there. As a result of this friction, positive charges are created in the upper part of the cloud and negative charges in the lower part, which is the initial step of lightning.
When a large amount of negative charges accumulate in the lower layer of the cloud, it feels a strong attraction to the positive charges of the ground. Although the atmosphere is generally non-conductive, when the amount of charge exceeds the tolerance limit, the air can no longer hold it. The electricity then breaks through the air layer and rushes towards the ground.
The intense flash of light that we see during a lightning strike is basically the path of electricity flowing through the air. At this time, the line of electricity flow raises the temperature of the air to about 30 thousand degrees Celsius in an instant. This is several times higher than the temperature of the surface of the sun, which makes the power of lightning unimaginable.
There is also a wonderful science behind the loud roar of sound. When the air particles suddenly expand and contract due to intense heat, a shockwave or intense wave is created. The vibration of this wave reaches our ears as a deafening sound, which we know as the call of the clouds.
Altitude is a major influence of lightning. Lightning always seeks the shortest and easiest path to reach the ground. Therefore, tall trees, mountains or multi-storey buildings are more likely to be struck by lightning than flat land.
Climate change is also one of the scientific reasons for the increase in lightning. Global warming is increasing the temperature of the atmosphere, which is increasing the amount of water vapor in the air. The more heat and humidity increase, the more friction and charge will be in the clouds in the sky, resulting in an increase in the number of lightning strikes.
In this game of charge, electricity also moves from cloud to cloud. We call this 'intra-cloud lightning'. Sometimes this flash of light goes from one end of the cloud to the other, which does not hit the ground, but increases both the beauty and horror of the sky.
The latest scientific explanation is the speed of lightning. It comes down at a speed of about 60 thousand meters per second. This electricity touches the earth before humans can blink, making it almost impossible to escape from it if they are careless.
Looking through the mirror of religious beliefs, we find a different perspective. According to Islam, when wickedness and disobedience to God increase in society, nature behaves in such a cruel way. It is believed that the intensity of lightning increases as a result of human actions and as a sign of God's power.
According to the beliefs of traditional religions, when wickedness engulfs society, the thunder of the god Indra increases. Destroying the balance of nature and showing cruelty to living beings expresses that anger through natural disasters.
In the light of Christianity, it is believed that disobeying the Creator's orders and deviating from the spiritual path brings disasters like lightning. In many places in the Bible, thunder is described as a symbol of divine power and judgment that warns people.
Buddhist philosophy talks about a deep relationship between the human mind and the environment. When human greed, jealousy, and delusion cause stress on the earth, nature's cycles are disrupted and destructive disasters like lightning strikes occur.
According to other folk and spiritual beliefs, when humans try to exert excessive control over nature and engage in activities such as cutting down trees or cutting down mountains, the protective forces of nature become angry. This imbalance is the reason behind frequent lightning strikes.
Collectively, almost all religions believe that if people live without ethics and do injustice to nature, the creator creates frightening situations like lightning to correct people or to give a warning.
Now the question is, how can we save ourselves from this danger? The first advice of science is that whenever the call of the clouds is heard, we should immediately leave the open area and take shelter under a paved building. Standing on the roof or balcony of the house is not safe at all at this time.
If there is no paved building nearby, then we cannot stand under a tall tree or electric pole. Because as I said before, electricity targets high places. Rather, we should squat down in low places so that the height of the body is low.
It is important to refrain from using electronic devices such as mobile phones, laptops or corded telephones during a lightning strike. Because the high voltage of lightning can enter the house through the electrical connection and cause great harm to the user.
It is necessary to stay away from metal objects such as bicycles, umbrellas or iron pipes. Even if you are indoors, you should refrain from turning off the tap or taking a shower, because metal pipes act as good conductors of electricity.
A permanent solution to protect against lightning is to install 'lightning arresters' or lightning rods in multi-storey buildings. This directly draws the lightning current and safely delivers it deep into the ground, thus keeping the building and its residents safe.
Another natural way is to plant more and more tall trees, especially palm or betel trees. Since these trees are tall, lightning strikes directly on the trees and conducts the electricity to the ground, thus reducing the loss of life and property.
From a religious perspective, Islam has mentioned specific prayers as a way to get protection. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) heard thunder, he would recite Tasbih and ask for forgiveness from Allah. This spiritual peace helps people to be patient instead of panicking.
Traditional religion has provisions for sacrifices and prayers for peace. It is recommended to remain mentally strong by chanting the mantra 'Om Shanti' to calm the Rudra form of nature and destroy evil forces.
Christianity and Buddhism emphasize remembering the creator and praying for mercy during times of danger. Buddhists talk about developing a bond with nature through 'metta' or friendly thoughts, which makes people fearless in natural disasters.
In many other cultures, we hear from elders that during a thunderstorm, one should remain silent and surrender oneself with humility. This belief gives people the courage to face the danger without running away.
From our discussion, we understand that lightning is not just a natural phenomenon, it is a huge warning to our environment and behavior. If we love nature and follow scientific rules, we can all live safely in this beautiful world. Finally, human awareness and moral life can be the way to reconcile with nature. A deep faith in God and the warnings of science - only with the combination of these two can we remain safe from terrible disasters like lightning.
Dr. Md. Anwar Hossain is an essayist and
President of the International Anti-Drug
Organization - Freedom International
Anti-Alcohol. He can be reached at [email protected]
