Mobile phones can be dangerous in storms

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Doctors say you could be struck by lightning if you use your mobile phone outside in stormy weather.
The damage caused when someone is struck by lightning varies, say doctors from Northwick Park Hospital in London. The high electrical resistance of human skin does not allow the lightning current to enter the body and death rates are usually low. But if someone touches a metal object or liquid, the current will enter the body and may cause massive injury, possibly including cardiac arrest. These doctors describe a new case - a 15 year old girl who used her mobile phone in a London park during a storm. Although she was successfully resuscitated, she continues to have a number of medical and psychological problems linked to the incident.

Although there are no other cases in the medical literature, three have been reported in newspapers in China, Korea and Malaysia. All resulted in death. Being struck by lightning because you are on a mobile phone may be a rare occurrence. But the Australian Lightning Protection Standard already recommends that metallic objects, including cordless or mobile phones, not be used outdoors in a thunderstorm. We already know that mobile phones are dangerous if used when driving - now, it seems, it is best to keep them switched off during a storm too.

Source
British Medical Journal 24th June 2006 Volume 332 page 1513