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?

Definitely Windows open to get the full experience.

It started here last night just gone 11 so I dragged myself out of bed to pop out for a look. It was amazing! Constant sheet lightning creating a full on disco strobe light effect. For about 20 minutes and I had to keep on closing my eyes. Then it went to loud thunder and forked lightning.

I took a few short videos while trying to keep close to the building walls, like that would make a difference. I bottled it when the smell of electricity got really strong.

The large grey area in this screenshot is the sea lit up. I'm a mile back from the beach and 120ft elevation. It makes for a fantastic view for storms and fireworks

I closed our windows and the velux as we had a biblical downpour that was soaking our bedroom. Other than that, I'd have left them open.

I used to live in the Alps where we had regular amazing storms that used to bounce around the valley. I used to love watching them!

Was always told as a child to open all windows so the storm can safely pass through. I'm now pretty sure this was scientifically sound.

Do you close them in fear of a ball lightning? I do close the windows not to let the rain in but I must say the fear of a ball lightning is also always there. Definitely if your house is a single one in the area

Nope, wouldn't occur to me to close the windows unless water was getting in.

We slept through the storm last night, so the windows were definitely left open!

Ball lightning is really rare and actually can make it through closed windows anyway, so it's not something I'd worry about. It's not a very well understood phenomena and there are some in the met community who don't actually think it exists. (I think they are wrong!)

Interestingly (if you're a history geek) there's many early medieval accounts of light miracles that could refer to ball lightning (eg an account of a storm where a ball of light comes into the church as a saint is giving a sermon, seen as a sign of a holy visitation etc).

I knew an elderly lady who swore that when she was young a ball of lightning came down the chimney and rolled across the floor.

I also know someone who's semi detached house got struck with lightning in the chimney which then travelled down the dividing wall strolling both her and the child next door (not seriously thankfully).

@LookWhosInTheRejectBin fuck that’s some Final Destination shit right there!