Can lightning hit people in the UK/IE?

The fear of thunderstorms is common in Britain and Ireland, known as astraphobia a 2020 survey found a third of Brits had some level of the phobia.

So, as a new record distance for a lightning bolt is confirmed, how likely is it that you could actually be hit by lightning?

Not very is the answer.

Different research studies have produced varying odds but the British Medical Journal place them at one in 10 million.

In the 29 years from 1987 to 2016 a total of 58 people were both struck and killed by lightning in the UK which places the actual odds closer to one in 33 million. Of those struck, 72% occurred during leisure activities such as golf or fishing and bizarrely 83% were male.

There’s even worse news too, the classic myth when it comes to lightning is that it never strikes the same spot twice. Except, it does. The Empire State Building is struck an average of 23 times a year and has a lightning protection system installed so you can’t even pick a smouldering spot to stand in for safety.

Realistically, you have greater odds of winning the jackpot in the National Lottery, at one in 4 million, than you do being struck by lightning.