Do you shut all your windows in a thunderstorm?

[FairfaxAikman]

DF thinks I'm mad for getting up at 2am to shut all the windows once a thunderstorm started here.
He thinks there is no danger in leaving the windows open when it was so hot last night.
I admit the risk is low but think it's still electricity and you don't fuck about with electricity.

WWYD?

No.

My mum tells me that my great-grandmother used to insist on turning all the mirrors to face the wall if there was a thunderstorm. And also not opening the knife drawer, or something.

My grandmother use to prop open the front and back doors to ‘let the storm go through’. She was incredibly superstitious but I have no idea where she got this one from!

I've never shut my windows. They aren't wide open anyway. I'll close the French doors but closing windows has never occurred to me. I like storms.

The lightning will not get in through the windows. It would hit your roof and go through the walls to earth.

We closed over our wide open windows because the rain was torrential last night.

I close any that were letting in a lot of water and maybe because of the noise but not for the electricity.

I have just read Kittens post. I see it could happen then

Just could not imagine it as a likely risk.

We did always unplug the tv. I guess it should have been the aerial!

I keep windows shut during storms, and also avoid using taps/ the shower/ touching or using any plugged in appliances.

Argued with DH about this last night. It was so hot in our bedrooms and when the storm started he closed all the windows There was a minuscule chance of water getting in (we have external wall insulation which means the windows are kind of set deep in the walls - if that makes sense - so the rain would have to be horizontal).

All windows upstair slightly open last night and doors ajar to allow a through draught.
I slept through the thunder and lightning but the torrential rain woke me.

It's not a high risk, but it is a potential small risk. FWIW, I keep my windows open unless it's a particularly violent overhead storm with cloud-ground strikes.

I try not to use plumbing because I have been indirectly hit by a nearby strike that charged our pipes. I also do unplug appliances if the storm if the storm is close and active, again due to personal experience.

There's a reason I developed a strong interest in storms and weather in general.

Quite the opposite! I got up, opened them wider and had a nice time watching it with my head poked out. Love a storm!

Like MrsAJCrowley my grandma was a superstitious old bugger who insisted that storms be given a path through the house a house they want it. That took the form of windows open, and a door too if possible.

Mum used to leave windows open too, probably because it was ingrained.

I left them open last night because it was bloody hot. The storm brought a breeze with it and it was most welcome.

I think turning the TV off during a storm was very common in the 70s when I grew up. We always had to. Apart from that, I don't 'do' anything else - only closed the windows a little bit last night as, like PP, the rain was coming in!! Then I went straight back to sleep and missed the best thunderstorm show for at least 6 years round here!! Gutted.

Of course I didn't mean turning the TV off but unplugging the aerial - apparently the TV signal attracted the lightning and you were more likely to get the aerial hit then the house burning down than if it was off. No idea if its true or not!!!

Wide open here. My mother won’t use a phone in storms as somehow she got sent across the room while on one in a storm.

We close the bedroom Velux windows as when it's heavy rain the water gets in.

Think worrying about electricity getting you is fairly paranoid.

I wished I had closed them last night because I woke up during the storm to soaking wet curtains and carpet!

No, I didn't know we were supposed to even.

We have a tree in front of our house so the breeze from it helps cool the bedroom.

Do trees create breezes?

Surely trees act as windbreakers?!

It depends whether much rain can come in.

Our don't let rain in hence they all stayed open

My windows are upvc, whether they are open or not makes no difference to lightning. Metal windows perhaps shouldn't be sticking out but still is a stretch to think it's dangerous.

Surely trees act as windbreakers?!

Well, yes. I was trying to work out what the poster meant by it.

It wouldn’t even occur to me to do this. In fact I’d probably more likely open them to be able to hear the storm better!

Am I the I only person who slept last night? Windows closed, blind down, curtains closed, didn't hear a thing. Lots of puddles around this morning so it must have rained.

I opened the windows and sort of hung out enjoying the cool air!
Surely it will hit the roof not the windows. I’m genuinely confused.
I too remember turning the tv off