On one hand, it would obviously attract lightning, being a tall-ish conducter it would attract it, but cars and the like are said to be (relatively) safe specifically because they direct lightning around you to the ground. I imagine it would be similar to that.
My brain for some reason read that as a “metal gazelle”, and I was very confused as to why somebody would be asking if a metallic recreation of an animal is safe in a storm. Then I was thinking maybe they were talking about “Gazelle”, as in the bicycle company, but that made even less sense.
It’s only now I realised IT’S A GAZEBO, THE WEIRD BUILDING THING IN PARKS
The thing being metal has a very tiny impact on being more likely to be struck by lightning. There is no such thing as “attracting” lightning. Lightning starts as a widespread charge in the clouds, until it reaches a tipping point and discharges. Often this discharge is between two parts of the same system in the sky. However sometimes the discharge can be with the ground itself.
When the electric field is large enough, a similar field is induced in the ground. These fields are often on the large side, with one pair of fields being able to serve a lot of strikes and each strike being a whole bunch of discharges. At the top the air begins to break down and form a lightning channel. This follows a random, often branching pattern, moving generally downward being attracted by the field in the ground. When this channel gets close to the ground little “feelers” begin to discharge from sharp edges of everything near the channel. Once one of these feelers touches the lightning channel, the actual strike happens. That single channel will be used to transfer energy, due to the difference in field charge. The air becomes super heated and turns into a hot plasma. We see the bright white lighting arc and a wave of expanding air moves out from the strike. Often these strikes pulsate, where the channel moves a lot of energy, heats up, stops moving energy, cool down and heat up again. I’m not sure how many cycles one strike has, I think something around a dozen or so. Sometimes when there’s multiple suitable channels available, it will jump around between these, which can look very pretty.
As I said these fields are usually on the big side and that’s what determines where abouts the strike will occur. The bit on the ground only plays a part in the last few meters of a process that is often hundreds of meters long. The material doesn’t matter all that much, as the charge is enough to break down the air itself. If something has sharp edges often matters more than the material, but the biggest factor is height.
Large towers, a singular tree in a field and stuff like that is said to “attract” lightning, because we dumb monkeys see those things get hit more often than elsewhere (but not exclusively so). Like I said the lightning channel is formed up to down, because of the two opposing fields. When the channel gets close to something, it can complete the channel. So things being more up are more likely to do so, just by virtue of being up.
Just a little tangent not directly related to your question tho. If you want to ground the thing to make it less likely to explode when hit by lightning, sure go ahead. But remember a lighting strike is very violent, so it will never be safe. Best to stay indoors during a heavy lightning storm.
is it grounded properly? it would be trivial to install a proper lightning protection on it with a little digging (sheet metal roof might be too thin to conduct lightning current safely and without damage. not a legal advice. consult your local building code)
A metal gazebo is no more likely to be struck than a wooden one of the same height in the same location. Metal doesn’t attract lightning.
That’s wrong. Height is more important than material because air is a fairly good isolator, but electricity will always run the path of least resistance, which will invariably be the metal gazebo if they’re close enough.
That being said, a metal gazebo can also act like a Faraday cage. The reason why a car is safe is because it’s a metal cage, electricity will flow more easily through the metal than through you so you’re safe. Wood might be less conductive than you, so the path of least resistance might go through you, making it less safe. Also trees are alive and have water inside so they’re way more conducting than a wooden gazebo.
All of this being said, being near lighting when it strikes is not safe, as the electricity dissipates on the ground it creates massive electrical difference in the ground, and the least resistance path might be to go up your body and down the other side. Curiously if your feet are at roughly the same distance from the lighting strike you’re less likely to be electrocuted as the difference in electrical potential will be small, however if one feet is significantly closer than the other, as if you were running away from the lighting the electrical potential difference might be enough to kill you.
but electricity will always run the path of least resistance, which will invariably be the metal gazebo if they’re close enough.
Not according to the USA National Weather Service:
The presence of metal makes absolutely no difference on where lightning strikes. Natural objects that are tall and isolated, but are made of little to no metal, like trees and mountains get struck by lightning many times a year.
Those two sentences are entirely unrelated. Just because lightning will strike wood under some circumstances has nothing to do with whether it’s more likely to strike metal.
A more definitive statement would be, “Lightning has been repeatedly observed striking metal objects, and those made of other materials, with equal frequency, provided the objects are of equal height and in the same general location.”
If what you’re saying is true, how do you explain those videos of people playing with Tesla coils while wearing chain link suits?
So if metal doesn’t attract lightning then explain why tall buildings have lightning conductors, usually made from copper
That’s a safe pathway for the electricity to discharge. The material is irrelevant except in regard to long term durability. It’s height, isolation, and shape.
If the metal gazebo is grounded, and you are not, you’ll be protected if lightning strikes the gazebo because electricity will always follow the path of least resistance to ground.
Have you ever seen one of those videos of a guy in a metal suit playing with the lightning from a Tesla coil? Same principle.
