A Farmer's Guide to Lightning

Rural Roots Canada

Lightning....friend or foe? Both. Thunderstorm season has begun across the prairies, bringing with it danger, and a great benefit to growing crops. How to Stay Safe Safety is paramount, so we'll deal with the danger first. Lightning is generated by the attraction between the negative charges at the bottom of a thundercloud and the positive charge of the surface of the Earth. Similar to a magnet, the opposite charges are drawn to each other, and when the connection is made, a lightning flash results. The danger is obvious. The consequences can be deadly. Besides holding n enormous electrical charge, A lightning bolt is hotter than the surface of the sun. You don't want to be struck. Lightning is attracted to the tallest object in contact with the ground. That's why tall trees or tall buildings are often struck. When you're out working a field, you are quite possibly the tallest object - a target for a lightning stroke. You don't want to be the tallest object. Crouching down isn't good enough.