Tag Archives: shower

Is it dangerous to take a shower during a thunderstorm?

Yes – if you take a shower during a thunderstorm, there is a risk of electrocution. To understand why, we need to remind ourselves how electricity behaves. If lightning strikes a house, the electricity will follow the path of least resistance, which is the best conductor available. This can (and should) be a lightning conductor, but even in its absence, the electricity will find some path. Many things can be used as conductors: metal gutters, plumbing pipes, or even reinforcement elements provide an excellent escape route to the ground. Thus, when lightning strikes, the current will flow through one of these available conductors until it reaches the ground and dissipates. The occupants will remain safe. But…

Well, there is always a “but.” If you are taking a shower during a thunderstorm, or even washing your hands when lightning strikes, you can become a conductor of electricity. The current will flow through the water pipes, and our wet body standing in the shower will close the circuit between the shower and the drain with which the water pipes have no connection. There are several documented cases of such a shock. This is why, despite the small chance of such an occurrence, experts recommend avoiding contact with plumbing during a storm. We don’t wash plates, shower or bathe. For our own safety.