The tallest building in the world being struck by lightning.
All images are copyrighted and used with permission of the photographers.
With a deafening sound, the lightning bolt strikes the building’s antenna, while onlookers instinctively cover their ears and scramble for safety. Meanwhile, visitors inside the giant skyscraper are torn between grabbing their cameras and running for cover, shocked by the reality of being trapped within a building being struck by lightning...
All images are copyrighted and used with permission of the photographers.
With a deafening sound, the lightning bolt strikes the building’s antenna, while onlookers instinctively cover their ears and scramble for safety. Meanwhile, visitors inside the giant skyscraper are torn between grabbing their cameras and running for cover, shocked by the reality of being trapped within a building being struck by lightning...
Lightning striking the skyscrapers of Chicago.
What exactly happens when lightning strikes a skyscraper? Let's take the Empire State Building as an example. The iconic Art Deco tower – a veritable old-fashioned gentleman among today’s skyscrapers – was, according to some sources, designed as a giant lightning rod from the day it opened its doors in 1931. In fact, scientists from the American Institute of Electrical Engineers recorded every single one of the Empire State Building’s lightning strikes between 1934 and 1937 on film, in order to determine the speed with which lightning strikes (10,000 miles per second, apparently, although that figure is still open to debate). The recordings continued as, in the words of one weather blog, “scientists measured some of the very first oscillographic readings of lightning currents there using tethered balloons in the 1930s, 40s and 50s.”
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In this picture from August 19, 2011, we can see the Empire State Building lit up in the Indian tricolor (most likely in honor of the Indian Independence Day on August 15) and being hit by lightning. Stuck at New Jersey's Hoboken train and bus terminal because of the severe thunderstorm, photographer Sugata Banerji made the best of the situation and set up his tripod. Good thinking!
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What exactly happens when lightning strikes a skyscraper? Let's take the Empire State Building as an example. The iconic Art Deco tower – a veritable old-fashioned gentleman among today’s skyscrapers – was, according to some sources, designed as a giant lightning rod from the day it opened its doors in 1931. In fact, scientists from the American Institute of Electrical Engineers recorded every single one of the Empire State Building’s lightning strikes between 1934 and 1937 on film, in order to determine the speed with which lightning strikes (10,000 miles per second, apparently, although that figure is still open to debate). The recordings continued as, in the words of one weather blog, “scientists measured some of the very first oscillographic readings of lightning currents there using tethered balloons in the 1930s, 40s and 50s.”
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This
fantastic image of the Empire State Building being hit by lightning was
taken on June 9, 2011. A violent thunderstorm passed through the city
that brought torrential rains and hail. Whether this marked the last
storm of spring or the first of summer, it seems the weather gods were
out to give New Yorkers some excitement!
In a nutshell, skyscrapers are steel cages comprising various compartments that divide and subdivide the energy from a lightning strike until it is safely guided to the ground where it spreads out. A skyscraper thus functions in a similar way to a Faraday cage – a shield or enclosed space made of conducting material – that, like a plane, protects people from natural electric sparks such as lightning. Safe in this knowledge, sit back and relax while you enjoy these images of seven of the world’s tallest and most iconic skyscrapers being struck by lightning, shown in order of their height.
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In a nutshell, skyscrapers are steel cages comprising various compartments that divide and subdivide the energy from a lightning strike until it is safely guided to the ground where it spreads out. A skyscraper thus functions in a similar way to a Faraday cage – a shield or enclosed space made of conducting material – that, like a plane, protects people from natural electric sparks such as lightning. Safe in this knowledge, sit back and relax while you enjoy these images of seven of the world’s tallest and most iconic skyscrapers being struck by lightning, shown in order of their height.
Photo: 7. Q1, Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia
As well as surfing, theme parks and hot air ballooning, visitors to Australia’s popular Gold Coast can add another attraction to their thrill list: going to the suburb of Surfers Paradise and watching lightning strike the Q1 landmark – while snugly inside it. Inspired by the Olympic torch and standing at a whopping 1,058 feet (322.5 m), the Q1 is the world’s fifth tallest residential building. As one source claims: “Visitors like to lay out on the floor during thunderstorms to watch lightning strike the Q1's impressive 97.7 meter spire.” Judging by this incredible image, it must be one heck of an experience, and certainly not one for the faint of heart!Photo: 6. The Center, Hong Kong
We’re lucky to be able to include in our list this award-winning photograph, which was featured in the 2010 National Geographic Photography Contest. It truly is a spectacular capture of lightning striking Hong Kong’s The Center during a storm on September 13, 2009. What makes the lightning and the skyline appear almost pixelated is not a camera error but a reflection of the lightning bolt in the raindrops on the window. At 1,135 feet (346 m), The Center is no. 31 on the list of the world's tallest buildings.Photo: 5. Empire State Building, New York City, NY, USA
The 1,454-foot (443-m) Empire State Building is struck by lightning about 23 times a year. Surprising, perhaps, that this number is not higher, given the building’s prominence on the city’s skyline and the number of thunderstorms that occur in New York – to say nothing of the fact that the building’s antenna was designed as a lightning rod!In this picture from August 19, 2011, we can see the Empire State Building lit up in the Indian tricolor (most likely in honor of the Indian Independence Day on August 15) and being hit by lightning. Stuck at New Jersey's Hoboken train and bus terminal because of the severe thunderstorm, photographer Sugata Banerji made the best of the situation and set up his tripod. Good thinking!
Another bolt
of lightning striking the Empire State Building, this time on August 8,
2011 during another severe storm. On the night of April 12 of the same
year, the building was even struck three times in a row during a bad
thunderstorm. So much for the old saying that lightning never strikes
twice! It sure does, so be aware!
Photo: 4. Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), Chicago, IL, USA
Here’s an image of the Willis Tower being struck by lightning on April 4, 2010. At 1,451 feet (442 m), the building formerly known as the Sears Tower is the ninth tallest skyscraper in the world and is thus bound to have its fair share of lightning strikes. A couple of years before this, when an observer had asked how the antenna could withstand the lightning, Tom Skilling, WGN-TV's chief meteorologist, offered a helpful explanation. Skilling said: “The antenna is not being hit directly – the appearance not withstanding. Instead, a corona of charged ions which pools up around the antenna is interacting with a charge descending from above to give off the light we see in these lightning strikes.” Interesting!Photo: 3. Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Number six on the list of world’s tallest skyscrapers, the Petronas Towers have a height of 1,483 feet (452 m). Like the other skyscrapers in this article, they too see their fair share of lightning strikes over the course of a year – with this photograph taken on April 29, 2010. Though the reflection of the room and its lights on the window pane takes away a bit from the image, the dramatic, sideways forking of the lightning against the towers more than makes up for it. For a real-time feel of the split-second event, make sure to check out this video.Being Struck by Lightning
2. Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan
Our number two is the number five when it comes to its standing among the world’s tallest skyscrapers, at an impressive 1,670 feet (509 m). This incredible lightning strike – which seems to be directly attacking the tower’s antenna – was captured on August 3, 2007. The Taipei 101 has also earned the moniker of world’s tallest green building, due to its recycled water system. Now if only the energy of that lightning strike could somehow be converted and used for the building’s power needs…y Lightning
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