Aug 5 (Reuters) – Scientists say climate change is increasing the likelihood of lightning strikes across the United States, after lightning struck a plaza near the White House, killing three and another in state critical.
Hot and humid conditions in Washington, DC on Thursday kicked off for power. Air temperatures peaked at 94 degrees Fahrenheit (34 degrees Celsius) – or 5F (3C) higher than the normal 30-year high Temperature for Aug. 4, according to the National Weather Service.
More heat can draw more moisture into the atmosphere, while encouraging a rapid updraft – two key factors for charged particles, which lead to lightning. A key study published in 2014 in the journal Science warned that the number of lightning strikes could increase by 50% this century in the United States, with every 1 C (1.8 F) of warming resulting in a 12% increase the number of lightning strikes.
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Fast warming Alaska has seen a 17% increase in lightning activity since the cooler 1980s. And in typically dry California, a siege of some 14,000 lightning strikes in August 2020 sparked some of the largest wildfires on record in the state.
Beyond the United States, there is evidence that lightning strikes also occur in India and Brazil.
But even though lightning strikes are on the rise, being hit by one is still extremely rare in the United States, experts say. About 40 million lightning strikes the country every year, according to the Center for Disease Control – with a probability of being struck less than 1 in a million.
A bolt of lightning strikes a tree in Lafayette Park across from the White House, killing two people and injuring two others below, during an August 4 evening thunderstorm, as seen in this screenshot of a Reuters TV video camera mounted on a nearby rooftop in Washington, U.S. August 4, 2022. REUTERS/REUTERS TV
Of those affected, about 90% survive the ordeal, according to the CDC. The country has counted 444 deaths due to lightning from 2006 to 2021.
The two men and two women struck by lightning on Thursday while visiting Washington’s Lafayette Square, just north of the White House, were among the unlucky few – struck by lightning that hit the ground during a violent thunderstorm in the afternoon.
The lightning struck near a tree that is a few meters from the fence that surrounds the presidential residence and the offices opposite the square, which is often crowded with visitors, especially during the summer months.
All four victims suffered serious life-threatening injuries and were taken to area hospitals. Read more Two of them later died: James Mueller, 76, and Donna Mueller, 75, of Janesville, Wisconsin, the Metropolitan Police Department said.
“We are saddened by the tragic loss of life,” the White House said in a statement Friday. “Our hearts are with the families who have lost loved ones, and we pray for those who are still fighting for their lives.”
Later Friday, a third victim, a 29-year-old man, was pronounced dead, the Metropolitan Police Department said. Further details about the victim have been withheld until next of kin are notified.
Because heat and humidity are often required to make lightning, most strikes arrive in the summer. In the United States, the populous subtropical state of Florida sees the most people killed by lightning.
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Reporting by Gloria Dickie in London; Additional reporting by Frank McGurty in New York and Chris Gallagher in Washington; Editing by Louise Heavens, Mark Porter and Shri Navaratnam
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