Static hair could warn of a lightning strike! How to stay safe

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You're walking in the mountains, and suddenly the weirdest thing happens: your hair begins to literally stand on end. It looks so funny – but this is NO joke! It could mean that a lightning strike is imminent.

I intend no disrespect whatsoever to people who post photos of themselves with "static hair" on social media, as the woman pictured above did. These photos can help warn people what it means when their hair stands on end like this, and what action to take when it happens.

A year ago I was looking at one of my favourite mountaineering pages on social media, when I spotted a post from a family of four who were out walking on Schiehallion, a 1083m mountain in Perthshire, Scotland.

In Gaelic, "Schiehallion" means "the fairy hill of the Caledonians". The family were joking that there must have been some fairy magic about to make their hair stand on end.

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At the time, they had no idea that their "static hair" could be a precursor to a lightning strike. When other posters pointed this out, they said that the skies had been quite clear at the time.

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The family's location when the incident occurred.

In fact, lightning can strike at a distance of 10 miles, so a strike could happen when the sky is blue, if there is a storm nearby.

Luckily there were no casualties on this occasion, although their youngest son did get an electric shock on the palm of his hand from his walking pole – which sounds like a lightning strike to me. In response to their Facebook post, other people posted photos of themselves with "static hair" that were taken on the same day, in different locations.

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The family was descending the mountain at the time, and their photos suggest that they were at least 900m high. Other walkers in the area were unaffected by the "static hair" phenomenon, and most of them thought it was funny, although some warned that a lightning strike could be imminent.

The story was reported in the local newspaper, the Courier.

A hair-raising experience

The "static hair" phenomenon recalls a notorious incident from the 1970s, when two brothers were photographed grinning as their hair literally stood on end, during a climb on Moro Rock in California's Sierra Nevada range in 1975.

Minutes later, the two brothers, Michael and Sean McQuilken, and three other teens in their group, were struck by a massive lightning bolt that knocked them off their feet. Their sister Mary, who took the famous photo, also experienced the hair-raising phenomenon. At the time, Michael raised his hand in the air and a ring on his finger started to buzz so loudly that they could all hear it.

The teens decided to go back down when the temperature dropped sharply and hail started to fall. It was when they were on their way back down that the lightning struck. 12-year-old Sean was knocked unconscious and suffered third degree burns.

The famous photos were once published in brochures to warn campers about the dangers of lightning. Sadly, two of the brothers in the group were badly affected by depression after the event and later committed suicide. Scientists are investigating whether lightning strikes can have neurological repercussions of this nature.

Michael McQuilken was quoted as saying "We were from San Diego and really stupid."

They were not stupid – just ignorant of the danger signal that static hair presents.

Yesterday I posted about being on a hillside as thunderstorms approached. Statistically we were at very low risk of being struck by lightning, but should we have been exposing ourselves even to that level of risk?

What you should do if this happens

The McQuilken teens were struck as they were walking back down the mountain, so clearly trying to get out of the area is not necessarily going to keep you safe.

If you experience skin tingling or hair standing on end, or "humming" from metal objects:

• Place all metal and electric objects 20 metres away from you (the exact distance varies according to which safety advice you read – just make sure they're a good distance away!).

• Crouch on the balls of your feet, or sit on your backpack or on a mat, with your feet off the ground and knees drawn up to the body.

• Seek the lowest spot to sit in, away from isolated tall trees and if possible, away from crags and ridges. Dense areas of smaller trees that are surrounded by larger trees can be safe.

• If you are on a climb when a storm hits, do not abseil down, as wet rope is a good lightning conductor. The best thing is to avoid rock climbs and scrambles if storms are forecast.

• DO NOT shelter under an overhang or a tree, as a lightning strike will bridge the gap and strike you as well.

• On the other hand, a pinnacle will act as a lightning conductor, protecting an area with a radius roughly equal to its own height. The area within this circumference will therefore be a relatively safe space to sit and wait out the storm.

• Do not sit close to a rock outcrop or crag.

• Do not sit close to a body of water, such as a lake, a pond, or even a flooded area.

• Do not shelter in a cave or disused mine, or a shed. A car or a fully-enclosed building with interior plumbing and wiring should be safe, but avoid direct contact with the plumbing.

• Do not be the tallest object in the vicinity.

• Do not lie on the ground, as the ground conducts electricity.

Know the signs of an approaching storm…

• Pay attention to weather forecasts, but remember that it's difficult for forecasters to determine the exact timing and location of a storm.

• Look out for towering cumulonimbus clouds, especially as they thicken, darken and take on a more ominous appearance. Prepare to lose height and seek a safer location.

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Towering cumulonimbus clouds are often characterised by a flat, anvil-shaped top, but look out for clouds that form a gathering mass of rounded "quilted" shapes too.

• The location of the storm can be roughly determined by the time difference between flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder. Sound takes 3 seconds to travel 1km, so the number of seconds between the light and the sound should be divided by three to give the kilometre distance of the storm.

If someone is struck by lightning…

• It IS safe to touch them. No electrical charge remains on or in the affected person after a lightning strike.

• Get help immediately, even if they appear to be fine.

• If they have no pulse or breath, attempt CPR.

Finally… get it in perspective!

• Four people have been killed by lightning strikes in the US this year – terribly tragic, especially as the youngest of these was just 7 years old. Yet statistically very low when compared, for example, to the number of road deaths.

• An average of three people a year are killed by lightning strikes in the UK, out of an average of 49 people a year who are struck by lightning, with most receiving just minor injuries.

• Deaths from lightning strikes in the UK are thankfully very rare, despite the huge number of people who flock to the hills in all kinds of weather. In July 2015, two people were killed by lightning strikes and another two were injured, on the Brecon Beacons, a mountainous area of Wales. The deaths were in separate incidents.

This was an exceptionally unusual occurrence, and I have personally not heard of any lightning strike deaths in the Scottish hills.

Just remember – if you're on a hill or mountain and you experience "static hair", crouch down, ideally in a hollow, away from lone trees and rock faces, with your feet on your backpack or on a plastic mat, and place metal or electrical objects at a distance away from you.

Sources

NOAA fact sheet for lightning safety while working outdoors

Mountaineering Scotland safety advice on lightning

British Mountaineering Council post on lightning storms

Mountain Safety.co.uk post on lightning

This EXCELLENT post about a family who were struck by lightning while camping