Meteorologists can tell you when a severe thunderstorm is approaching, but there is no way to predict where lightning will strike. The action of rising and decending air withing a thunderstorm separates positive and negative charges. Lightning results from the buildup and discharge of electrical energy between positively and negatively charged areas. The charges measure 50,000°F and thunder is a shock wave produced by the rapid heating and cooling of the nearby air.

Most lightning deaths occurn when people are caught outdoors, in the summer months, during the afternoon and early evening. Your chances of being struck by lightning are approximately 1 in 600,000. But you can reduce those chances by following the safety tips below.

In Homes, Schools, Businesses: Stay away from windows and doors during thunderstorms. Stay off corded telephones as lightning can send an lethal electric charge through phone lines. Unplug appliances and electronic equipment and avoid contact with metal pipes.

In Your Car: An enclosed vehicle is a safe place during an electrical storm. Keep the windows rolled up and avoid touching metal parts of the car. The rubber tires do not offer protection from lightning strikes. Rather it is the the steel frame of the hard-topped vehicle that deflects the electricity around the exterior of the auto, increasing your protection.

Outdoors: Move to a sturdy building or shelter. Stay away from fences, trees, bodies of water, swimming pools, and open areas such as golf courses or ball fields. Boats and swimmers should head for the shore as soon as possible to avoid the risk of creating a lightning target. If you are caught in the open, and feel your skin tingle or your hair stand on end, squat low to the ground on the balls of your feet. DO NOT lie flat. If lightning strikes nearby, you need to make yourself the smallest target possible, minimizing your contact with the ground. If you witness a lightning strike on a person, administer first aid immediately and call for emergency personnel (the victim does NOT retain a charge dangerous to other people).