Lightning Kills 20-Year-Old and Injures 4 Others in USJ6

Monday, 7 December 2009

Lightning Kills 20-Year-Old and Injures 4 Others in USJ6

Meteorological Dept says lightning expected during late afternoon thunderstorms

A 20-year-old man was killed in what appears to be a freak storm that occurred yesterday (Sunday) evening between 6-7pm.
The incident according to USJ8 Police Chief Inspector Loy Yew Lik took place at the USJ6 Basketball Court.
"The lightning struck five youths while they were leaving the basketball court. The 20-year-old from USJ2 was killed while the other 4 have been discharged after a check-up at a nearby hospital," he said to SJ Echo.
It is understood the victim was the only son amongst the siblings in the family.

ADUN Subang Jaya Hannah Yeoh when contacted expressed her shock. "I wish to express my condolences to the family for their loss," she said.

SJECHO contacted the Meteorological Department based in Petaling Jaya and sought their help in giving us an overview of what the weather is going to be like over the next week. Here's what we found out.

WEATHER OUTLOOK AT SUBANG JAYA FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS from the Meteorological Department

Weather Pattern in Subang Jaya

The weather at Subang Jaya is expected to be generally fair from 8 – 11 December 2009. However late afternoon or evening rain and thunderstorms with moderate intensity is likely to occur and fair weather is expected at night. The lightning is expected to occur during the late afternoon thunderstorms.

Lightning Count in Subang

The figure below shows that the number of lightning counts at Subang from the year 1965 until 2008. The number of lightning is decreasing over the years. The average number of lightning count at Subang over the period (1965-2008) is about 302.

Lightning Safety Guides
There are some things you can do to minimize your risks if you are caught in the open during a thunderstorm:
a.    Avoid being the tallest object around ... get as low as you can, but don't lie prone on the ground.
b.    It also is unwise to be near the tallest object around, like an isolated tree. Sheltering from the rain under a tree is often a factor in people being struck.
c.    There is no "warning sign" that will tell you reliably that lightning is about to strike; don't depend on having your hair stand on end, or whatever.
d.    The time from the flash to the thunder is a rough measure of how distant the lightning is. If you see a flash and count the seconds, five seconds corresponds to about a mile. However, there is no distance from a thunderstorm that is absolutely safe! If you can see the lightning, then you are under some threat.
e.    You do not have to be directly hit by the lightning to be affected. Lightning can travel along the ground from a nearby strike to you. It can also jump from nearby objects that are struck.
f.    Avoid being near fence lines and power lines that lead into areas where lightning is occurring. A flash can travel along the wires and jump to you.