What happens when electric towers are hit by lightning?

If you are able to see the pictures clearly, there are a ground wire or earth wire at top of tower. Ground wires are bare conductors supported at the top of transmission towers. They serve to shield the line and intercept lighting stroke before it hits the current carrying conductors below. read more

” When lightening hits a tower, conductor or even a non-conductor, the current flows into the ground. Some interesting casting have been formed by pouring a molding compound into lightening strikes, sort of like a ant colony. read more

Therefore lightning only has to overcome 2/3 of the usual voltage difference. Lightning can kill you even if you are not struck by it. Like dropping a stone in a pond, the voltage is spread out around the place of the strike, falling off with distance. read more

I is the peak lightning current Z is the impedance seen by the pulse along the direction of travel. Impedance Z is equal to half the surge impedance of the line when struck at mid-point and can be approximately as much as 150 Ω. Thus for a peak current of 40 kA, the voltage of the pulse can be as high as 6000 kV. read more