Lightning safety overview

This lightning season, keep you and your loved ones safe!

Lightning in the forecast

Find all our weather forecasts and alerts:

on our mobile app WeatherCAN
online at Canada.ca/weather

Don’t forget to turn on the lightning layer layer to see strikes near you in real-time!

Always check the weather forecast before your outdoor activities. Watch the skies for lightning and listen for thunder. If there are thunderstorms in the forecast, have a safety plan in place.

What to do in case of lightning

When thunder roars, go indoors!

Each year lightning kills two to three Canadians and injures close to 180 others. If you can hear thunder, you are within striking distance of lightning. More people are struck before and after a thunderstorm than during one.

Take shelter immediately! Preferably in an enclosed building with wiring and plumbing, or in an all-metal vehicle (not convertible top).
Open structures, like gazebos and picnic shelters, won’t protect you. Wait at least 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder to go back outdoors.
If you are outside, stay away from tall objects, such as trees, poles, wires, and fences. Take shelter in a low-lying area, but be on alert for possible flooding.
Do not handle electrical equipment, land-line telephones, or plumbing. These are all electrical conductors.
If you are on/in water, get to shore as quickly as possible. Lightning that hits water travels well beyond its point of contact.

First aid for lightning victims

Lightning victims do not carry an electrical charge and can be safely handled.
Call for help. Victims may be suffering from burns or shock and should receive medical attention immediately. Call 9-1-1 or your local ambulance service.
Give first aid. If breathing has stopped, administer cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Use an automatic external defibrillator if one is available.

Additional precautions during a lightning storm

Best practices to keep you and your loved ones safe during thunder and lightning storms.

Outdoors:

Avoid being the highest point in an open area. Seek shelter in low-lying areas such as valleys, ditches and depressions but be aware of flooding. Swinging a golf club or holding an umbrella can make you the tallest object and a target for lightning.
Stay away from water. Don't go boating or swimming if a storm threatens and get to land as quickly as possible if you are already on the water.
Stay away from objects that conduct electricity, such as trees, tractors, golf carts, metal fences, lawnmowers, and bicycles.
You are safe inside a car during lightning but be aware of downed power lines which may be touching your car. You are safe inside the car, but you may receive a shock if you step outside.
In a forest, seek shelter in a low-lying area under a thick growth of small trees or bushes.
Keep alert for flash floods, sometimes caused by heavy rainfall, if seeking shelter in a ditch or low-lying area.

Indoors:

Don't go outside unless absolutely necessary.
Before the storm hits, disconnect electrical appliances including computers and televisions. Do not touch them during the storm.
Keep as many walls as possible between you and the outside. Stay away from windows and keep them closed.
Use battery operated or cordless devices only. The electrical current from a lightning strike will follow metal pipes and wires until it reaches the ground (or you).
Avoid working on a plugged-in computer or holding a device while it’s charging. Cordless or mobile telephones are safe.
Delay taking a shower, bath, or washing dishes by hand during a thunderstorm. Water is an electrical conductor. If lightning strikes nearby the charge may travel through the pipes.

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2026-06-08

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