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UNDERSTAND. PREPARE. EXPLORE.

Thunderstorm & lightning safety learning quiz.

Learn lightning safety in six lessons and a final challenge: 44 questions with explanations, practical scenarios and follow-up practice for mistakes.

6 short lessons44 questionsLearn at your own paceRead the lesson notes

01 · Start here

Understand the storm

Learn what lightning and thunder tell you before making decisions about the weather.

BEFORE YOU ANSWER

  • Lightning is an electrical discharge. Collisions and separation of ice particles help build charge in a storm.
  • Thunder is the sound associated with the rapidly heated air along a lightning channel. Light reaches you before sound.
  • A distant flash or an empty-looking sky cannot tell you where the next strike will happen.
Read the full guide

For learning, not a live safety assessment or first-aid qualification. In an emergency, contact local emergency services. Content checked against the official sources linked below on 24 September 2026.

KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN COME BACK TO

Your storm field notes.

Read these at any time. You do not need to complete the quiz to access safety information.

LESSON 01

Understand the storm

Learn what lightning and thunder tell you before making decisions about the weather.

  • Lightning is an electrical discharge. Collisions and separation of ice particles help build charge in a storm.
  • Thunder is the sound associated with the rapidly heated air along a lightning channel. Light reaches you before sound.
  • A distant flash or an empty-looking sky cannot tell you where the next strike will happen.
Explore this topicOfficial source

LESSON 02

Choose real shelter

Distinguish protection from rain from protection against lightning.

  • Choose a substantial enclosed building or a fully enclosed, metal-topped vehicle with windows closed.
  • Tents, open shelters and isolated trees do not provide suitable lightning protection.
  • Wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder before resuming outdoor activity. New thunder restarts the wait; other warnings may require longer.
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LESSON 03

At home and on the road

Getting inside is the first step. Your choices indoors and in traffic still matter.

  • Keep clear of plumbing, corded equipment, windows and open exterior areas during nearby lightning.
  • A battery-powered phone can keep you informed; using a device connected to wiring is a different situation.
  • Lightning shelter in a car does not protect you from floodwater, falling trees or a tornado.
Explore this topicOfficial source

LESSON 04

Camping, trails and water

Apply shelter decisions where buildings may be far away.

  • Before an outing, check the forecast and identify a reachable shelter and route back.
  • Leave water, exposed terrain and open sports areas early enough to reach shelter.
  • If caught outside, keep moving toward shelter. Lying flat, a small rock overhang or an isolated tree is not a safe alternative.
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LESSON 05

Read maps and warnings

Use the right information for the decision, and recognise what a map cannot show.

  • Rain radar shows precipitation observations; satellite imagery shows clouds. They are different measurements.
  • Check time, coverage and the provider’s legend. A blank patch or a storm track is not a guarantee about future strikes.
  • In the US, a watch means prepare and a warning means take action. Other countries use their own warning systems.
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LESSON 06

Other hazards and helping

Recognise when lightning advice must be combined with emergency instructions and other storm hazards.

  • Strong wind, hail, flooding and tornadoes require their own precautions. A lightning shelter is not automatically suitable for every hazard.
  • A person struck by lightning does not retain an electrical charge. Call the local emergency number and follow dispatcher instructions.
  • Check the scene for continuing danger. CPR and an AED may be needed; a quiz does not replace first-aid training.
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