Storm Australian Severe Weather Forum
Severe Weather Discussion => Tornado Alley Outbreaks and Severe Weather Worldwide => Topic started by: Harley Pearman on 28 October 2008, 01:07:42 PM
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Cow carnage as a lightning strike kills a herd of cows:
Certainly worth a thread because it is reasonably common.
This article made the Sydney Morning Herald 26/10/2008.
It states that there was one lightning strike but 52 cows were killed on a farm in Uruguay (South America).
The cows pressed against a wire steel fence during a thunderstorm. A nearby lightning strike occurred on the fence and all 52 cows pressing against the fence were electrocuted.
A veterinarian told the newspaper that cows often crowd around fences to seek shelter during thunderstorms but often the case, a lightning strike can wipe out a herd of cattle in one strike.
A meteorologist was not surprised by the loss.
Reported SMH 26/10/2008 but it came from the Newspaper El Pais (Uruguay South America).
It shows that livestock losses can be high from lightning strikes.
I remember a similar case at Dorrigo (New South Wales) a few years ago when around 123 cows were sheltering under a tree. The tree was struck by lightning but the electrical discharge travelled through water lying at the base of the tree that decimated the herd of cattle.
Harley Pearman
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Yes I too read that in our paper. There is a similar thing that happens every storm season around Australia and the world...storm chasers huddled around a large metal object (car) taking photographs whilst standing on moist bitumen or earth! Might pay to take a Webber next time chasing, you never know what feed awaits!
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Pictures speak a thousand words :-*
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/uruguay/3249895/Fifty-two-cows-are-killed-after-lightning-hits-a-wire-fence.html
cheers,
.adrian
word number nine and ten