1 When you see distant lightning, begin counting. Head for shelter if you hear thunder before the count of 30.

2 If you can hear thunder, it's safe to assume you're within 10 miles of a storm.

3 Lightning carries a charge of roughly 100 million volts.

4 A lightning bolt can heat the surrounding air to 54,000 degrees, several times hotter than the surface of the sun.

5 Lightning is visible up to 300 miles away. The distant flashes we see on warm summer nights are from thunderstorms far away.