Kigali, one of the cities in Rwanda. Image source wikipedia
Greetings, how are you steemit friends? Glad to meet you again and hopefully healthy always. A few days ago a national media preached about natural disasters in Rwanda, as we know Rwanda is on the African continent, precisely east Africa. It was reported that dozens of people were killed by lightning strikes, how could that happen?
We already know that lightning is a natural phenomenon that is common in almost all countries, I once explained how the lightning happened, there was a cloud that positively charged electricity met with clouds with negative electric charge, consequently this action resulted in an explosion/electrical energy jump, the big electricity will be neutralized by the earth we usually call a lightning strike, this lightning strike will go to the nearest electric conductor to be immediately neutralized. Is that true?
I will briefly discuss the lightning and try to be as detailed as possible so that we can understand it more easily.
LIGHTNING/THUNDER
Thunder in Piracicaba, Brazil. Image source wikipedia
You can call lightning a giant condenser/capacitor because technically clouds can be likened to an electroplated plate and the earth as a second plate is considered neutral.
Generally, lightning/thunder can occur when conditions are cloudy and when it rains or precisely during a rainy season, a potential difference in clouds to the earth that makes lightning/thunder is formed.
Why lightning/thunder can strike the earth?
Clouds that have a larger electrical charge will dispose of its charge (to the earth) to neutralize the electrical charge, the discharge we usually familiar with the lightning strike/thunder to the earth's surface, the discharge of charge occurs in order to balance an electrical charge on the cloud.
Because lightning/thunder quickly formed and strike the media to neutralize the electrical charge (ground) to neutralize the electrical charge (ground) made a new phenomenon, so when the lightning/thunder was formed, the spontaneous changes in air temperature in the lightning lanes made the air expand rapidly (over the speed of sound) and there was a very loud and continuous explosion (along with the path/lightning flower), experts say the explosion occurred because "electrons have penetrated the threshold of air insulation".
Can we avoid a lightning strike/Thunder?
We know that lightning is a natural phenomenon that can not be avoided, although it can not be avoided lightning can be learned so that now we have a technology capable of warding off lightning that is widely used in high-rise buildings even inhabitation.
One of the statues that uses lightning rods. Image source wikipedia
In principle, the electric charge on lightning/thunder will strike the nearest medium (earth) to be able to neutralize the electrical charge, with knowledge finally the engineers create a lightning rod shaped like an antenna that serves to capture lightning/thunder, lightning that has an electrical charge is then forwarded to ground.
Oh, keep in mind that lightning/Thunder has an electric charge of about 20,000 amps, I'll help you imagine how big the 20,000 amp is, if you have a 100 Watt lamp then the lamp can be lights for 3 months. Lightning has a high heat too, which is about 10,000oC, as a comparison it should also be remembered that for the iron will melt there is a temperature of 1100oC, that is, in addition to having a large electric charge, lightning is also very hot and by itself very dangerous to humans. Then a miracle if there are human beings who are still alive after being struck by lightning.
SEVERAL PEOPLE WERE KILLED BY LIGHTNING/THUNDER IN RWANDA
As I wrote in the above section that dozens have been killed by lightning/thunder strikes, why did it happen that engineers have created technology to counter lightning so that lightning/thunder is harmless?
Right, that we have known a system of lightning/thunder rods, we also know that humans are always trying to control nature. But keep in mind that any kind of error can happen, like human error and other.
Keep in mind that Rwanda is an area consisting of hills and many mountains, hills and mountains are one of the factors that cause lightning strike more easily the region, even worse, average buildings in Rwanda do not have a lightning/thunder protection system.
What should the local government do?
Certainly, the government must tighten the regulations on the construction of buildings so that each building has its own lightning protection system, although this is not the best solution, at least we have anticipated trying to avoid the worst.
The data suggest that previously there has been a similar disaster in Rwanda, it has also been reported that by 2016 it has killed 30 people and many other losses, it is an adverse lightning disaster and immediate preventative action.
CONCLUSION
Lightning-caused deaths are not new in Rwanda, given the region's topography and the lack of lightning/thunder protection systems in the area's buildings cause a high level of losses caused by lightning/thunder.
As we know, nature will continue to proceed and if we are not ready with the process it will hurt us, we have discussed that natural disaster is a process and will usually repeat itself in the future, so be prepared because disaster will not send an e-mail to you when they comes.
My advice, stay alert and always protect your family :)
This is the only thing I can write on this occasion, over all the mistakes and lack of unintentional writing as a servant of God, I apologize.
Thanks to friends who have visited this blog and provided constructive comments, as well as scientists who are willing to sacrifice their time for a better civilization.
Active link reference:
www.wikipedia.org
www.nytimes.com
www.harunyahya.com
Do you love science? by respecting the work of others and not plagiarism then you are welcome to join steemSTEM by using #science tags and joint our steemit chat channel
