Deaths and injuries caused by lightning in the United Kingdom: analyses oftwo databases

Two databases of incidents in which lightning struck people, either directl y or indirectly, are examined. Analyses of TORRO's UK database of lightning injuries and deaths for the period from 1993 to 1999 reveal that, on avera ge, 49 people are struck by lightning each year. Approximately one half of the lightning incidents affecting people happened inside a building, with o ne quarter of indoor incidents involving the telephone. The majority of all people struck by lightning experience only minor injuries. A minority suff er severe effects (e.g. full thickness burns and/or require resuscitation) and, on average, three people are killed each year. With a UK population of around 58.2 million the risk of being struck by lightning (indoors and out doors combined) is one person in 1.2 million and the risk of being struck a nd killed by lightning is one person in 19 million. Expressed in a differen t way, the average annual number of people struck by lightning per million people is 0.84 and, the average annual number of deaths caused by lightning per million people is 0.05. Based on records of the total number of cloud- to-ground lightning strikes, an incident in which one or more persons are s truck by lightning occurs, on average, approximately every 12,000 strikes. A lightning incident in which someone is killed happens, on average, approx imately every 100,000 strikes. All the Fatalities during 1993 to 1999 occur red outdoors. Analyses of thr number of lightning fatalities in England and Wales tin whi ch 88% of the UK population live currently), as recorded on death certifica tes since 1852, reveal that lightning fatalities have fallen dramatically d uring the past century and a half. The annual average number of fatalities each half century has decreased from 19 for the period 1852 to 1899, throug h 12 for the period from 1900 to 1949, to five fur the period 1950 to 1999. Males accounted for four out of every Five deaths. (C) 2001 Elsevier Scien ce B.V. All rights reserved.