A 30-year-old man has been allegedly struck to death by lightening at Sewia Junction in the Ashanti Region.

Police have since conveyed the corpse of the man to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital morgue, reports indicate.

According to the Assemblymember for the Kyirapatre Electoral area, Bismarck Osei Tutu, the incident happened when the deceased, identified as Yaaponon, was relaxing with his friends at a popular drinking spot in the area.

The Assembly member noted that when the deceased was found, “the thunder had struck him and part of his clothes was burnt,” reports Citinewsroom.com.

Lightning is discharge of electrical current as a result of an imbalance between the electrical charge of the clouds and the Earth’s surface.

 It is a powerful and spectacular natural phenomenon, and usually occurs when there is a difference in voltage of 30,000 V or higher, which exceeds the inherent resistance.

Usually thunder, a sound produced by lightning, follows it after it strikes the Earth’s surface. Lightning is a global public health issue and is the second leading cause of weather-related deaths.

It accounts for about 24,000 deaths and 240,000 injuries annually.

Lightning mostly occurs during the rainy season in Ghana,

It strikes the Earth’s surface more than eight million times a day. Lightning-related injuries are more common in the young, with a vulnerable age group of 10–29 years.

Males have a five times greater risk of being struck by lightning than their female counterparts, according to a study.

Individuals engaging in outdoor activities such as fishing golfing, camping, swimming, boating, hiking, and so on, are more prone to strikes by lightning. However, indoor strikes by lightning have also been reported.

The risk of being struck by lightning is dependent, therefore, on seasonal, regional, and temporal factors.