Prince George gets more than its share of thunderstorms in B.C.
Which is why the Environment Canada is urging sports groups and others spending their time outside in the city to make use of a web-based service that warns people when they are in danger of being struck by lightning.
The Canadian Lightning Danger Map shows areas at greatest risk of being struck by lightning in the next 10 minutes with animation showing the movement of the storms.
If the website shows a red dot moving over your area, it's time to seek shelter, preferably in a house or all-metal vehicle - not convertible top.
And never shelter under a tree.
"This is one of the worst places to be when you have lightning activity because the tree acts like a lightning rod," said Environment Canada meteorologist Andre Besson.
Most injuries and fatalities are not caused by direct strikes but by ground current or side flashes.
"So if you can, stay indoors whenever you hear thunder, that's always the best option," Besson said.
On average a thunder and lightning storm rolls through the city 10.7 times a year, which is higher than the average for the province.
"You need to have fairly warm conditions, the air mass needs to be unstable and you have to have moisture," Besson said.
"What we see in the Cariboo is the fact that there is a lot of residual moisture, there's a lot of lakes and rivers, and it can get really warm in the summer.
"And of course all that humidity is trapped between the coastal mountains and the Rockies, so it's a good spot for that to happen."
In terms of actual lightning strikes, Cranbrook is the province's leader.
"Some events were obviously more intense and produced more lightning strikes (in Cranbrook)," Besson said.
Further afield, Besson said thunderstorms pass through many Alberta communities more than 20 days a year and for Winsdor, Ontario, the count rises to 40.
The CLDM can be found on weather.gc.ca/lightning and is accessible on mobile devices. And more information on lightning safety can be found online at: www.ec.gc.ca/foudre-lightning.
It includes a video, "Lightning Safety on the Soccer Field," that shows soccer players and other sports enthusiasts learn how to stay safe when there is a threat of lightning.
