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By listening for the thunder. When you see a prominent lightning strike, start counting "one thousand one, one thousand two", etc. Each of those is about one second. There are five seconds in every mile (sound travels 1/5th of a mile per second). If you count to fifteen, the lightning strike is three miles away. Lightning and thunder occur at the same instant when the lightning strike is very close to you, and the thunder will sound more like a cymbal crash.

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14y ago

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How far from the heavy rain of a thunderstorm can lightning strike?

Lightning can strike up to 30 miles from the parent storm cell, though such cases are rare.


How can I determine how far away lightning is using the keyword "how to see how far away lightning is"?

To determine how far away lightning is, count the seconds between seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder. Divide this number by 5 to estimate the distance in miles.


What causes lots of lightning but no thunder during a storm?

Lightning without thunder during a storm is typically caused by a phenomenon known as heat lightning. Heat lightning occurs when lightning strikes far away and the sound of thunder does not travel as far as the light from the strike. This can happen when the storm is too far away for the sound waves to reach your location, resulting in the appearance of lightning without the accompanying thunder.


How do you calculate how far a storm is away?

After you here thunder every 6 seconds until the next lightning strike it is a mile.


How far from a storm can lightning strike?

Lightning can strike up to 25 miles away from a storm, in a clear area. This phenomenon is known as a "bolt from the blue". It is important to seek shelter at the first sound of thunder, as lightning can still strike even if the storm is not directly overhead.


How far from heavy rain of a thunderstorm can lightning strike?

Lightning can strike up to 30 miles from a thunderstorm, though such instances are rare.


How far can lightning strike?

When you see a lightning bolt, start counting how many seconds till you hear thunder. Divide that number by 5 and that tells you how far away the lightning bolt was in miles. http://www.easycalculation.com/weather/lightning.php


If a lightning strike were to strike a muddy patch of ground how far away could you stand without being hurt?

If lightning hit mud, it probably wouldn't travel that far. If you were not worried about your sight or hearing, it would probably be safe up to 40-50 feet away. I wouldn't recomend staning in mud during a thunderstorm though.


What is a simple way to estimate how far away lightning?

First, watch for lightning. The second it hits the ground, starts counting in seconds. Stop when you hear thunder. divide the seconds by 5 to get how many miles away the lightning is. For kilometers, divide the seconds by 3.


Does heat lightning touch the ground?

Heat lightning is a term used to describe lightning that is seen from a distant thunderstorm but is too far away for the accompanying thunder to be heard. It does not have its own unique characteristics and does indeed touch the ground like any other lightning strike.


How far can lighting strike?

i guess it all depends on were it is directly at and lighting can go until it hits the ground


You hear thunder 13.9 seconds after a lightning flash how far are you from lightning?

You are approximately 2.7 kilometers (1.7 miles) away from the lightning strike. Sound travels at about 343 meters per second, so by dividing the time gap of 13.9 seconds by the speed of sound, you can calculate the distance.