Lightening hitting houses?

Question

What are the reasons a house can get hit by lightening? Does having the lights or appliances on effect the chances? Does having the windows open effect the chances? Is it safe to sit by a window and watch the storm?

Answer 1

Inside the house, you're fine, usually.  There are stories of people getting hit by lightning while inside a house, but this MAY be due to them being prone to getting struck already.  There was a story 20-30 years ago about some poor guy who suffered two or three such strikes, and the last time anyone mentioned anything the explanation went that he moved himself into his basement away from ANY open windows when a lightning storm came threatening.  It's lightning, too.  Lightening is an adverb, maybe.  It's associated with making something lighter.

Answer 2

Taller building with more metal components tend to attract lightning and so do isolated houses say in the rural countryside. Lightning happens through a heavily charged atmosphere which is why it's so difficult to predict where it'll hit. I've even seen open grounds (a construction site in the process of excavation) getting hit by a nasty bolt.

The best way to watch a storm is from behind glass panes. Don't hold on to any metal bars on the window.

Answer 3

it's completely random. the only thing you can do is put a lightning rod at the top of your house to protect the house (though it raises the chance of your house getting hit)