According to Sweden’s state meteorologists SMHI, thunder and lightning strikes occur on between 5 and 20 days per year. Now, that might not sound like a lot, but on days where lightning does occur, there can be thousands of strikes across the country. To put Sweden’s number of strikes into perspective, the area around the Amazon rainforest has around 250 lightning days per year.

The lightning strike in Lidingö, close to Stockholm, which hit a group of people at a youth football training session was one of a total 7,072 lightning strikes which occurred on August 29th. Sweden’s northwestern mountain ranges see the fewest strikes, while the west coast sees the most. 

Not all lightning strikes reach the ground, and many strike between clouds, so they don’t represent a danger to the population. SMHI’s lightning registration systems record around 150,000 ground strikes per year.

SMHI meterologist Per Stenborg speaking to SVT news in 2018 estimated the total number of people hit by lightning as between five and ten each year, with around 20 percent of those being fatal.

“That’s around one or two people a year,” he said at the time.

What should you do in the event of a thunderstorm?

Although the likelihood of getting struck by lightning is low, it can be a good idea to be aware of the best course of action if you do find yourself outside during a thunderstorm.

Emergency information website krisinformation.se recommends that you stay indoors and unplug power cords from wall outlets, especially if your building has no built-in lightning protection, like a lightning rod or similar.

Concrete buildings are particularly safe to be in, as the reinforcing bars used inside the walls are made of metal, and are extremely effective at leading electricity down to the ground.

If you are outside during a thunderstorm, bear in mind that lightning will strike the highest point it can find, so you should avoid standing in open fields or standing near large trees.

It’s also especially dangerous to be on or in the water, as not only are you likely to be the highest point around, but water also conducts electricity, so you risk being shocked even if you aren’t particularly close to the site of the strike.

If there are no buildings close by, you’re generally safer in a car or motorhome than out in the open, although tents can be dangerous. Make sure you don’t touch the radio or other metal parts of the car during the storm.

Avoid carrying long metal objects, like umbrellas, golf clubs or canes, as these could act as a lightning rod.