Signal on ECML struck by lightning today

[NightatLaira]

Apparently a signal on the ECML somewhere between Morpeth and Alnwick was struck by lightning at about 1400hrs today. I don't have the exact number but apparently it was a 3 aspect post signal on the down main. I was told by a member of staff that as a result all signals went to red and all level crossings were manually shut as a precaution by signallers. Trains were ordered to proceed at 5mph through the area as a precaution.

Apparently everything is now back to normal again. Anyone have any more info on this?

 

[Harbon 1]

I wonder why the lightning hit the signal in the first place with taller metal poles stiking out of the ground all around it?

 

[jopsuk]

Probably hit them too without causing damage.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I wonder why the lightning hit the signal in the first place with taller metal poles stiking out of the ground all around it?

It's a myth that lightning will hit the tallest structure; it'll actually hit the structure which provides the easiest path to Earth. Usually that will be the tallest structure, but not always.

 

[HugePilchard]

Also remember that lightning doesn't have to hit something to cause issues; a strike in the vicinity may have caused issues.

A few years ago, the company I worked for had various pieces of equipment by the side of the road across the region where I was based. I remember pulling up the monitoring software during a thunder storm, and could look out of the window, see the flash, and then turn back to my monitor and see that pretty much every single piece of equipment on my screen (over a twenty mile or so radius) had gone into an alarm state for a few seconds with each flash. Nothing of ours was directly hit, but it goes to show that with sensitive enough equipment, a strike miles away can cause issues.

Now, if that strike occurred maybe 50 metres away from something, then I'd expect any electronics to get pretty upset even though there was no direct hit.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

This site http://www.isleofwightweather.co.uk/live_storm_data.htm is quite interesting to watch in stormy weather - as long as it isn't too close, of course!