Electric ball during a thunderstorm. How is ball lightning formed and how to behave?

Human fear most often comes from ignorance. Few people are afraid of ordinary lightning - a sparking electrical discharge - and everyone knows how to behave during a thunderstorm. But what is ball lightning, is it dangerous, and what to do if you encounter this phenomenon?

It is very easy to recognize ball lightning, despite the variety of its types. Usually it has, as you can easily guess, the shape of a ball, glowing like a 60-100 Watt light bulb. Much less common are lightning that looks like a pear, mushroom or drop, or such an exotic shape as a pancake, donut or lens. But the variety of colors is simply amazing: from transparent to black, but shades of yellow, orange and red are still in the lead. The color can be uneven, and sometimes ball lightning changes it like a chameleon.

There is also no need to talk about a constant size of the plasma ball; it ranges from several centimeters to several meters. But usually people encounter ball lightning with a diameter of 10-20 centimeters.

The worst thing about describing lightning is its temperature and mass. According to scientists, the temperature can range from 100 to 1000 oC. But at the same time, people who encountered ball lightning at arm's length rarely noticed any heat emanating from them, although, logically, they should have received burns. The same mystery is with mass: no matter what size the lightning is, it weighs no more than 5-7 grams.

If you have ever seen an object from afar similar to what MirSovetov described, congratulations - it was most likely ball lightning.

The behavior of ball lightning is unpredictable. They refer to phenomena that appear when they want, where they want and do what they want. Thus, it was previously believed that ball lightning is born only during thunderstorms and always accompanies linear (ordinary) lightning. However, it gradually became clear that they can appear in sunny, clear weather. It was believed that lightning is, as it were, “attracted” to places of high voltage with a magnetic field - electric wires. But there have been cases recorded when they actually appeared in the middle of an open field...

Ball lightning inexplicably erupts from electrical sockets in the house and “leaks” through the slightest cracks in the walls and glass, turning into “sausages” and then again taking on its usual shape. In this case, no melted traces remain... They either calmly hang in one place at a short distance from the ground, or rush somewhere at a speed of 8-10 meters per second. Having met a person or animal on their way, lightning can stay away from them and behave peacefully, they can circle around curiously, or they can attack and burn or kill, after which they either melt away as if nothing had happened, or explode with a terrible roar. However, despite frequent stories of those injured or killed by ball lightning, their number is relatively small - only 9 percent. Most often, lightning, after circling around the area, disappears without causing any harm. If it appears in the house, it usually “leaks” back out onto the street and only melts there.

There have also been many unexplained cases where ball lightning is “tied” to a specific place or person and appears regularly. Moreover, in relation to a person, they are divided into two types - those that attack him every time they appear and those that do not cause harm or attack people nearby. There is another mystery: ball lightning, having killed a person, leaves absolutely no trace on the body, and the corpse does not become numb and does not decompose for a long time...

Some scientists say that lightning simply “stops time” in the body.

Ball lightning is a unique and peculiar phenomenon. Over the history of mankind, more than 10 thousand evidence of meetings with “intelligent balls” has accumulated. However, scientists still cannot boast of great achievements in the field of research of these objects.

There are a lot of disparate theories about the origin and “life” of ball lightning. From time to time, in laboratory conditions, it is possible to create objects that are similar in appearance and properties to ball lightning - plasmoids. However, no one was able to provide a coherent picture and logical explanation for this phenomenon.

The most famous and developed earlier than the others is the theory of Academician P. L. Kapitsa, which explains the appearance of ball lightning and some of its features by the emergence of short-wave electromagnetic oscillations in the space between thunderclouds and the earth's surface. However, Kapitsa was never able to explain the nature of those same short-wave oscillations. In addition, as noted above, ball lightning does not necessarily accompany ordinary lightning and can appear in clear weather. However, most other theories are based on the findings of Academician Kapitsa.

A hypothesis different from Kapitza’s theory was created by B. M. Smirnov, who claims that the core of ball lightning is a cellular structure with a strong frame and low weight, and the frame is created from plasma filaments.

D. Turner explains the nature of ball lightning by thermochemical effects occurring in saturated water vapor in the presence of a sufficiently strong electric field.

However, the theory of the New Zealand chemists D. Abrahamson and D. Dinnis is considered the most interesting. They found that when lightning strikes soil containing silicates and organic carbon, a tangle of silicon and silicon carbide fibers is formed. These fibers gradually oxidize and begin to glow. This is how a “fire” ball is born, heated to 1200-1400 °C, which slowly melts. But if the temperature of the lightning goes off scale, it explodes. However, this harmonious theory does not confirm all cases of lightning occurrence.

For official science, ball lightning still continues to be a mystery. Maybe that’s why so many pseudo-scientific theories and even more fictions appear around it.

We will not tell here stories about demons with glowing eyes, leaving behind the smell of sulfur, hellhounds and “birds of fire”, as ball lightning was sometimes imagined. However, their strange behavior allows many researchers of this phenomenon to assume that lightning “thinks.” At a minimum, ball lightning is considered a device for exploring our world. At the most, by energy entities that also collect some information about our planet and its inhabitants.

An indirect confirmation of these theories can be the fact that any collection of information is work with energy.

And the unusual property of lightning to disappear in one place and appear instantly in another. There are suggestions that the same ball lightning “dives” into a certain part of space - another dimension, living according to different physical laws - and, having dumped information, appears again in our world at a new point. And the actions of lightning in relation to living creatures on our planet are also meaningful - they do not touch some, they “touch” others, and from some they simply tear out pieces of flesh, as if for genetic analysis!

The frequent occurrence of ball lightning during thunderstorms is also easily explained. During bursts of energy - electrical discharges - portals from a parallel dimension open, and their collectors of information about our world enter our world...

The main rule when ball lightning appears - whether in an apartment or on the street - is not to panic and not to make sudden movements. Don't run anywhere! Lightning is very susceptible to air turbulence that we create when running and other movements and which pull it along with us. You can only get away from ball lightning with a car, but not under your own power.

Try to quietly move out of the lightning's path and stay away from it, but do not turn your back on it. If you are in an apartment, go to the window and open the window. With a high degree of probability, lightning will fly out.

And, of course, never throw anything into ball lightning! It can not just disappear, but explode like a mine, and then serious consequences (burns, injuries, sometimes loss of consciousness and cardiac arrest) are inevitable.

If ball lightning touched someone and the person lost consciousness, then he must be moved to a well-ventilated room, wrapped warmly, given artificial respiration and be sure to call an ambulance.

In general, technical means of protection against ball lightning as such have not yet been developed. The only “ball lightning rod” that currently exists was developed by the leading engineer of the Moscow Institute of Heat Engineering B. Ignatov. Ignatov's ball lightning rod has been patented, but only a few similar devices have been created; there is no talk of actively introducing it into life yet.

Therefore, take care of yourself, and if you encounter ball lightning, do not forget about the recommendations.

DOES BALL LIGHTNING EXIST?

Over the long history of the study of ball lightning, the most frequent questions were not questions about how this ball is formed or what its properties are, although these problems are quite complex. But most often the question was asked: “Does ball lightning really exist?” This persistent skepticism is largely due to the difficulties encountered in attempting to experimentally study ball lightning using existing methods, as well as the lack of a theory that would provide a sufficiently complete or even satisfactory explanation of this phenomenon.

Those who deny the existence of ball lightning explain reports about it by optical illusions or erroneous identification of other natural luminous bodies with it. Often cases of the possible appearance of ball lightning are attributed to meteors. In some cases, phenomena described in the literature as ball lightning apparently actually were meteors. However, meteor trails are almost invariably observed as straight lines, while the path characteristic of ball lightning, on the contrary, is most often curved. Further, ball lightning appears, with very rare exceptions, during thunderstorms, while meteors were observed under such conditions only by chance. An ordinary lightning discharge, the direction of the channel of which coincides with the observer’s line of sight, may appear to be a ball. As a result, an optical illusion can occur - the blinding light of the flash remains in the eye as an image, even when the observer changes the direction of the line of sight. This is why it has been suggested that the false image of the ball appears to be moving along a complex trajectory.

In the first detailed discussion of the problem of ball lightning, Arago (Dominique François Jean Arago is a French physicist and astronomer who published the first detailed work on ball lightning in the world scientific literature, summarizing the 30 eyewitness observations he collected, which marked the beginning of the study of this natural phenomenon) touched on this issue. In addition to a number of apparently reliable observations, he noted that an observer seeing the ball descending at a certain angle from the side cannot experience an optical illusion such as the one described above. Arago's arguments apparently seemed quite convincing to Faraday: while rejecting theories according to which ball lightning is an electric discharge, he emphasized that he did not deny the existence of these spheres.

50 years after the publication of Arago's review of the problem of ball lightning, it was again suggested that the image of ordinary lightning moving directly towards the observer was preserved for a long time, and Lord Kelvin in 1888 at a meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science argued that ball lightning - This is an optical illusion caused by bright light. The fact that many reports cited the same dimensions of ball lightning was attributed to the fact that this illusion was associated with a blind spot in the eye.

A debate between supporters and opponents of these points of view took place at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in 1890. The topic of one of the reports submitted to the Academy was the numerous luminous spheres that appeared in tornadoes and resembled ball lightning. These luminous spheres flew into houses through chimneys, punched round holes in windows, and generally exhibited very unusual properties attributed to ball lightning. After the report, one of the Academy members noted that the amazing properties of ball lightning that were discussed should be taken critically, since the observers apparently became victims of optical illusions. In a heated discussion, the observations made by uneducated peasants were declared not worthy of attention, after which the former Emperor of Brazil, a foreign member of the Academy, who was present at the meeting, declared that he, too, had seen ball lightning.

Many reports of natural luminous spheres were explained by the fact that observers mistakenly mistook the lights of St. for ball lightning. Elma. Lights of St. Elma is a relatively commonly observed luminous area formed by a corona discharge at the end of a grounded object, say a pole. They occur when the strength of the atmospheric electric field increases significantly, for example during a thunderstorm. With particularly strong fields, which often occur near mountain peaks, this form of discharge can be observed on any object raised above the ground, and even on the hands and heads of people. However, if we consider the moving spheres to be the lights of St. Elm, then we must assume that the electric field continuously moves from one object, playing the role of a discharge electrode, to another similar object. They tried to explain the message that such a ball was moving over a row of fir trees by saying that a cloud with a field associated with it was passing over these trees. Proponents of this theory considered the lights of St. Elma and all the other balls of light separated from their original attachment point and flew through the air. Since a corona discharge necessarily requires the presence of an electrode, the separation of such balls from a grounded tip indicates that we are talking about some other phenomenon, perhaps a different form of discharge. There are several reports of fireballs that were initially located on points acting as electrodes, and then moved freely in the manner described above.

Other luminous objects have been observed in nature, which were sometimes mistaken for ball lightning. For example, the nightjar is a nocturnal insectivorous bird, to whose feathers sometimes luminous rotten insects from the hollow in which it nests stick, flies in zigzags above the ground, swallowing insects; from some distance it can be mistaken for ball lightning.

The fact that in any given case ball lightning may turn out to be something else is a very strong argument against its existence. A major researcher of high-voltage currents once noted that, for many years observing thunderstorms and photographing them panoramicly, he had never seen ball lightning. In addition, when talking with alleged eyewitnesses of ball lightning, this researcher was always convinced that their observations could have a different and completely justified interpretation. The constant resurgence of such arguments emphasizes the importance of detailed and reliable observations of ball lightning.

Most often, the observations on which knowledge about ball lightning is based have been questioned because these mysterious balls were seen only by people who did not have any scientific training. This opinion turned out to be completely wrong. The appearance of ball lightning was observed from a distance of just a few tens of meters by a scientist, an employee of a German laboratory studying atmospheric electricity; lightning was also observed by an employee of the Tokyo Central Meteorological Observatory. Ball lightning was also witnessed by a meteorologist, physicists, a chemist, a paleontologist, the director of a meteorological observatory and several geologists. Among scientists of various specialties, ball lightning was more often seen and astronomers reported on it.

In very rare cases, when ball lightning appeared, an eyewitness was able to obtain photographs. These photographs, as well as other information concerning ball lightning, have often received insufficient attention.

The information collected convinced most meteorologists that their skepticism was unfounded. On the other hand, there is no doubt that many scientists working in other fields take a negative view, both due to intuitive skepticism and the unavailability of data on ball lightning.

An incident from the life of Nicholas II: The last Russian emperor, in the presence of his grandfather Alexander II, observed a phenomenon that he called a “ball of fire.” He recalled: “When my parents were away, my grandfather and I performed the rite of the all-night vigil in the Alexandria Church. There was a strong thunderstorm; it seemed that lightning, following one after another, was ready to shake the church and the whole world right to its foundations. Suddenly it became completely dark when a gust of wind opened the church gates and extinguished the candles in front of the iconostasis. There was thunder louder than usual, and I saw a fireball fly into the window. The ball (it was lightning) circled on the floor, flew past the candelabra and flew out through the door into the park. My heart froze with fear and I looked at my grandfather - but his face was completely calm. He crossed himself with the same calmness as when the lightning flew past us. Then I thought that being scared as I was was inappropriate and unmanly. After the ball flew out, I looked at my grandfather again. He smiled slightly and nodded at me. My fear disappeared and I was never afraid of a thunderstorm again.” An incident from the life of Aleister Crowley: Famous British occultist Aleister Crowley spoke of a phenomenon he called "electricity in the form of a ball" that he observed in 1916 during a thunderstorm at Lake Pasconi in New Hampshire. He had taken refuge in a small country house when “in silent amazement he noticed that a dazzling ball of electric fire, three to six inches in diameter, stopped at a distance of six inches from his right knee. I looked at it, and it suddenly exploded with a sharp sound that could not be confused with what was raging outside: the noise of a thunderstorm, the sound of hail, or streams of water and the cracking of wood. My hand was closest to the ball and she only felt a weak blow.” Case in India: On April 30, 1877, ball lightning flew into the central temple of Amristar (India), Harmandir Sahib. Several people observed the phenomenon until the ball left the room through the front door. This incident is depicted on the Darshani Deodi gate. Case in Colorado: On November 22, 1894, ball lightning appeared in the city of Golden, Colorado (USA), which lasted for an unexpectedly long time. As the Golden Globe newspaper reported: “On Monday night a beautiful and strange phenomenon could be observed in the city. A strong wind rose and the air seemed to be filled with electricity. Those who happened to be near the school that night could see fireballs flying one after another for half an hour. This building houses the electric dynamos of what is perhaps the finest plant in the entire state. Probably last Monday a delegation arrived at the dynamos straight from the clouds. Definitely, this visit was a great success, as was the frantic game they started together.” Case in Australia: In July 1907, on the west coast of Australia, the lighthouse at Cape Naturaliste was struck by ball lightning. Lighthouse keeper Patrick Baird lost consciousness, and the phenomenon was described by his daughter Ethel. Ball lightning on submarines: During World War II, submariners repeatedly and consistently reported small ball lightning occurring in the confined space of a submarine. They appeared when the battery was turned on, off, or incorrectly connected, or when high-inductance electric motors were disconnected or incorrectly connected. Attempts to reproduce the phenomenon using a submarine's spare battery ended in failure and explosion. Case in Sweden: In 1944, on August 6, in the Swedish city of Uppsala, ball lightning passed through a closed window, leaving behind a round hole about 5 cm in diameter. The phenomenon was observed not only by local residents - the lightning tracking system of Uppsala University, created at the Department of Electricity and Lightning Studies, was triggered. Case on the Danube: In 1954, physicist Tar Domokos observed lightning in a severe thunderstorm. He described what he saw in sufficient detail. “It happened on Margaret Island on the Danube. It was somewhere around 25–27°C, the sky quickly became cloudy and a strong thunderstorm began. There was nothing nearby where one could hide; nearby there was only a lonely bush, which was bent by the wind towards the ground. Suddenly, about 50 meters from me, lightning struck the ground. It was a very bright channel 25–30 cm in diameter, it was exactly perpendicular to the surface of the earth. It was dark for about two seconds, and then at a height of 1.2 m a beautiful ball with a diameter of 30–40 cm appeared. It appeared at a distance of 2.5 m from the place of the lightning strike, so that this point of impact was right in the middle between the ball and bush. The ball sparkled like a small sun and rotated counterclockwise. The axis of rotation was parallel to the ground and perpendicular to the line “bush - place of impact - ball”. The ball also had one or two red swirls, but not so bright, they disappeared after a split second (~0.3 s). The ball itself slowly moved horizontally along the same line from the bush. Its colors were clear and its brightness was consistent across its entire surface. There was no more rotation, the movement occurred at a constant height and at a constant speed. I didn't notice any more changes in size. About three more seconds passed - the ball suddenly disappeared, and completely silently, although due to the noise of the thunderstorm I might not have heard it.” Case in Kazan: In 2008, in Kazan, ball lightning flew into the window of a trolleybus. The conductor, using a ticket checking machine, threw her to the end of the cabin, where there were no passengers, and a few seconds later an explosion occurred. There were 20 people in the cabin, no one was injured. The trolleybus was out of order, the ticket checking machine got hot, turned white, but remained in working order.

Ball lightning is a unique natural phenomenon: the nature of its occurrence; physical properties; characteristic

Today, the only and main problem in the study of this phenomenon is the lack of ability to recreate such lightning in scientific laboratories.

Therefore, most assumptions about the physical nature of a spherical electric clot in the atmosphere remain theoretical.

The first to suggest the nature of ball lightning was the Russian physicist Pyotr Leonidovich Kapitsa. According to his teachings, this type of lightning occurs during a discharge between thunderclouds and the earth on the electromagnetic axis along which it drifts.

In addition to Kapitsa, a number of physicists put forward theories about the core and frame structure of the discharge or about the ion origin of ball lightning.

Many skeptics argued that this was just a visual illusion or short-term hallucinations, and that such a natural phenomenon itself did not exist. Currently, modern equipment and instruments have not yet detected the radio waves necessary to create lightning.

How is ball lightning formed?

It is usually formed during a strong thunderstorm, however, it has been noticed more than once in sunny weather. Ball lightning occurs suddenly and in a single case. It can appear from the clouds, from behind trees or other objects and buildings. Ball lightning easily overcomes obstacles in its path, including getting into confined spaces. Cases are described when this type of lightning appeared from a TV, an airplane cabin, sockets, in enclosed spaces... At the same time, it can pass objects on its way, passing through them.

Repeatedly the appearance of an electrical clot was recorded in the same places. The process of movement or migration of lightning occurs mainly horizontally and at a height of about a meter above the ground. There is also a sound in the form of crunching, crackling and squeaking, which leads to interference on the radio.

According to descriptions of eyewitnesses of this phenomenon, two types of lightning are distinguished:

Characteristics

The origin of such lightning is still unknown. There are versions that an electric discharge occurs either on the surface of the lightning, or comes out of the total volume.

Scientists do not yet know the physical and chemical composition due to which such a natural phenomenon can easily overcome doorways, windows, small cracks, and again acquire its original size and shape. In this regard, hypothetical assumptions were made about the structure of gas, but such a gas, according to the laws of physics, would have to fly into the air under the influence of internal heat.

The size of ball lightning is usually 10 - 20 centimeters.
The color of the glow can usually be blue, white or orange. However, witnesses to this phenomenon report that a constant color was not observed and that it always changed.
The shape of ball lightning is in most cases spherical.
The duration of existence was estimated to be no more than 30 seconds.
The temperature has not been fully studied, but according to experts it is up to 1000 degrees Celsius.

Without knowing the nature of the origin of this natural phenomenon, it is difficult to make assumptions about how ball lightning moves. According to one theory, the movement of this form of electrical discharge can occur due to the force of wind, the action of electromagnetic oscillations, or the force of gravity.

Why is ball lightning dangerous?

Despite many different hypotheses about the nature of the occurrence and characteristics of this natural phenomenon, it is necessary to take into account that interaction with ball lightning is extremely dangerous, since a ball filled with a large discharge can not only cause injury, but also kill. An explosion can lead to tragic consequences.

The first rule that must be followed when encountering a fireball is not to panic, not to run, and not to make fast and sudden movements.
It is necessary to slowly move away from the trajectory of the ball, while keeping a distance from it and not turning your back.
When ball lightning appears in a closed room, the first thing to do is try to carefully open the window to create a draft.
In addition to the above rules, it is strictly prohibited to throw any objects into the plasma ball, as this may cause a fatal explosion.

Thus, in the Lugansk area, lightning the size of a golf ball killed a driver, and in Pyatigorsk a man, trying to brush off a luminous ball, received severe burns on his hands. In Buryatia, lightning fell through the roof and exploded in a house. The explosion was so strong that windows and doors were broken, walls were damaged, and the owners of the household were injured and suffered concussion.

Video: 10 Facts about ball lightning

This video presents to your attention facts about the most mysterious and amazing natural phenomenon

One of the most amazing and dangerous natural phenomena is ball lightning. How to behave and what to do when meeting her, you will learn from this article.

What is ball lightning

Surprisingly, modern science finds it difficult to answer this question. Unfortunately, no one has yet been able to analyze this natural phenomenon using precise scientific instruments. All attempts by scientists to recreate it in the laboratory also failed. Despite a lot of historical data and eyewitness accounts, some researchers completely deny the very existence of this phenomenon.

Those lucky enough to survive an encounter with an electric ball give conflicting testimony. They claim to have seen a sphere 10 to 20 cm in diameter, but describe it differently. According to one version, ball lightning is almost transparent; the contours of surrounding objects can even be seen through it. According to another, its color varies from white to red. Someone says that they felt the heat coming from the lightning. Others did not notice any warmth from her, even when in close proximity.

Chinese scientists were lucky to record ball lightning using spectrometers. Although this moment lasted one and a half seconds, the researchers were able to conclude that it differed from ordinary lightning.

Where does ball lightning appear?

How to behave when meeting her, because a fireball can appear anywhere. The circumstances of its formation vary greatly and it is difficult to find a definite pattern. Most people think that lightning can only be encountered during or after a thunderstorm. However, there is a lot of evidence that it appeared in dry, cloudless weather. It is also impossible to predict the location where the electric ball may form. There have been cases when it arose from a voltage network, a tree trunk, and even from the wall of a residential building. Eyewitnesses saw lightning appear on its own, encountered it in open areas and indoors. Also in the literature, cases are described when ball lightning occurred after an ordinary strike.

How to behave

If you are “lucky enough” to encounter a fireball in an open area, you must adhere to the basic rules of behavior in this extreme situation.

Try to slowly move away from the dangerous place to a considerable distance. Don't turn your back on lightning or try to run away from it.
If she is close and moving towards you, freeze, extend your arms forward and hold your breath. After a few seconds or minutes, the ball will go around you and disappear.
Never throw any objects at it, as lightning will explode if it hits anything.

Ball lightning: how to escape if it appears in the house?

This plot is the most scary, as an unprepared person can panic and make a fatal mistake. Remember that the electric sphere reacts to any air movement. Therefore, the most universal advice is to remain still and calm. What else can you do if ball lightning has flown into your apartment?

What to do if it ends up near your face? Blow on the ball and it will fly away.
Do not touch iron objects.
Freeze, do not make sudden movements and do not try to escape.
If there is an entrance to an adjacent room nearby, then try to take refuge in it. But don't turn your back on the lightning and try to move as slowly as possible.
Do not try to drive it away with any object, otherwise you risk causing a large explosion. In this case, you face such serious consequences as cardiac arrest, burns, injuries and loss of consciousness.

How to help the victim

Remember that lightning can cause very serious injury or even death. If you see that a person is wounded by her blow, then urgently take action - move him to another place and do not be afraid, since there will be no charge left in his body. Lay him on the floor, wrap him up and call an ambulance. In case of cardiac arrest, give him artificial respiration until doctors arrive. If the person is not seriously injured, put a wet towel on his head, give him two analgin tablets and soothing drops.

How to protect yourself

How to protect yourself from ball lightning? The first step is to take steps to keep you safe during a normal thunderstorm. Remember that in most cases people suffer from electric shock while outdoors or in rural areas.

How to escape from ball lightning in the forest? Don't hide under lonely trees. Try to find a low grove or underbrush. Remember that lightning rarely strikes coniferous trees and birch.
Do not hold metal objects (forks, shovels, guns, fishing rods and umbrellas) above your head.
Don't hide in a haystack or lie down on the ground - it's better to squat down.
If a thunderstorm catches you in your car, stop and do not touch metal objects. Remember to lower your antenna and drive away from tall trees. Pull to the side of the road and avoid entering a gas station.
Remember that quite often a thunderstorm goes against the wind. Ball lightning moves in exactly the same way.
How to behave in the house and should you worry if you are under a roof? Unfortunately, a lightning rod and other devices are not able to help you.
If you are in the steppe, then squat down, try not to rise above the surrounding objects. You can take shelter in a ditch, but leave it as soon as it begins to fill with water.
If you are sailing in a boat, do not stand up under any circumstances. Try to get to the shore as quickly as possible and move away from the water to a safe distance.

Remove your jewelry and set it aside.
Turn off your cell phone. If it works, ball lightning may be attracted to the signal.
How to escape from a thunderstorm if you are at the dacha? Close the windows and chimney. It is not yet known whether glass is a barrier to lightning. However, it has been noticed that it easily seeps into any cracks, sockets or electrical appliances.
If you are at home, close the windows and turn off electrical appliances, and do not touch anything metal. Try to stay away from electrical outlets. Do not make phone calls and turn off all external antennas.