Lightning
Thunderstorms Lightning strike
Lightning is a powerful electrical discharge in the atmosphere. Its hazards are real even though individual accidents are rare, and comparisons with lotteries or sharks can be misleading.
How the discharge forms
Collisions between ice particles, graupel and water droplets separate electric charge in storm clouds. A large enough difference can produce lightning within a cloud, between clouds or between cloud and ground. Rapid heating of the air produces thunder.
Lightning, lottery numbers and sharks
“I would be more likely to win the lottery” sounds reassuring. Before staying under that tree, it is worth checking what the figures actually count:
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| Event | Count | Area and period |
|---|---|---|
| People injured in lightning accidents | About 110 per year |
Germany; annual average in VDE accident reports from 2000 onwards |
| People killed in lightning accidents | About 4 per year |
Germany; the same VDE review |
| Six matching numbers in LOTTO 6aus49 | 207 winning entries |
Germany, all 105 draws in 2025; 23 with and 184 without the Superzahl |
| Confirmed unprovoked shark bites | 65 cases, including 9 deaths |
Worldwide, ISAF annual report for 2025 |
The VDE figures are minimum counts from reported accidents, not a complete census. They include indirect lightning effects. Lottery figures count winning entries rather than unique people; a ticket may belong to a group. Shark statistics count bites, not “people eaten”.
Why this is not your personal risk ranking
Annual accidents, winning lottery entries and worldwide shark bites have different denominators. Someone often outside in thunderstorms has different lightning exposure from someone in a protected building. One LOTTO-6aus49 entry has about a 1 in 14 million chance of matching six numbers, regardless of the Superzahl. That does not establish a personal lightning probability.
For a walk through a city park, at least the shark has a travel problem. The thunderstorm does not.
Could both happen?
Canada’s Peter McCathie survived a lightning accident as a teenager and shared a lottery win in 2015. Both can happen.
What matters during a thunderstorm
When thunder is heard, seek a substantial enclosed building or a closed metal-roofed vehicle and remain sheltered for at least 30 minutes after the last thunder. A tree, tent or open shelter is insufficient. Current spreading through the ground after a nearby strike can also injure people; a direct hit is not required.