Lightning could hit San Diego County Wednesday and Thursday. Here’s how to avoid getting hurt

The National Weather Service says an unstable Pacific storm could produce lightning west of the San Diego County mountains on Wednesday and Thursday, possibly traveling all the way to the coast. Many people have little or no idea of how to deal with the phenomenon because it so rarely occurs in the region’s more populated areas.

NOAA says people should follow this advice to avoid getting struck by lightning, which heats the air around a bolt to about 50,000 degrees — hotter than the surface of the sun.

1. If you are outside and you hear thunder or see lightning, immediately seek shelter. Seek out a sturdy building, and stay away from electrical appliances and plumbing fixtures. If possible, stay inside an interior room.

2. If you are inside a vehicle, roll the windows up and avoid contact with any conducting paths leading to the outside of the vehicle, such as radios, CBs, ignition, etc.

3. Not all types of buildings or vehicles are safe during thunderstorms. Unsafe buildings include those that have exposed openings, such as beach shacks, metal sheds, picnic shelters or pavilions, carports and baseball dugouts. Porches are dangerous as well.

4. Convertibles offer no safety from lightning, even if the top is up. Neither do vehicles with open cabs, such as golf carts, tractors and construction equipment.

5. Lightning can travel great distances through power lines, especially in rural areas. Do not use electrical appliances, especially corded telephones, unless it is an emergency. Cell phones are safe to use, as are laptops that are not plugged in.

6. Do not take a shower or bath during a lightning storm, as both water and metal are good conductors of electricity.