Quick & curious · Physics

Lightning does strike the same place twice.

View from the Empire State Building over Manhattan at dusk, lightning strikes in the distance
Photo: Hermann Luyken · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original

23a yearstrikes on the Empire State Building

The story behind it

Lightning can strike the same spot twice – and often does.

It prefers whatever is tall and stands alone. The Empire State Building is hit 23 times a year on average. Metal makes no difference: tall, isolated trees and mountains get struck often too.