Don't Use Mobile Phone During Storms

[Chemisse]

Three doctors in a recent British Medical Journal warn of the risk of using mobile phones outdoors during stormy weather.

They describe the case of a 15 year old girl who was witnessed being struck by lightning while using her mobile phone in a large park in London during stormy weather. She was successfully resuscitated, but one year later she suffered complex physical, cognitive, and emotional problems.

If someone is struck by lightning, the high resistance of human skin results in lightning being conducted over the skin without entering the body, explain the authors. This is known as flashover and has a low death rate. Conductive materials such as liquids or metallic objects disrupt the flashover and result in internal injury with greater death rates.


"The Australian Lightning Protection Standard recommends that metallic objects, including cordless or mobile phones, should not be used (or carried) outdoors during a thunderstorm," they add.


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/06/060623000958.htm



With kids using cell phones nonstop (it seems), it might be good to warn them of this.

[ET Awful]

1. While you're at it, don't fly a kite, play golf, climb on your roof, repair an electrical tower

or hold a 10 foot long copper coated lightning rod in your hand in a thunderstorm. In fact, it might be advisable to not hang around outside any longer than necessary in a thunderstorm.

[Q3JR4]

2. Since your odds of being struck by lightning

in the U.S. are only 1/700,000 I think I'll take my chances...

Q3JR4.

[BadgerKid]

3. Maybe don't be outdoors during a thunderstorm?

Just a thought.

[HuckleB]

4. That's probably good advice.

But then I always advise people to get off the phone, no matter what kind it is, storm or not.