In Paris, lightning struck a plane flying over the Eiffel Tower: impressive footage

In Paris, lightning hit a plane/Collage 24 Channel, photo Bertrand Kulik

On Sunday, May 12, bad weather covered Paris. During a thunderstorm, eyewitnesses saw lightning strike a plane that was just flying over the Eiffel Tower

The moment was recorded by French photographer Bertrand Kulik. The photographs show how the plane got caught in the electrical discharge line.

Airplane passengers are protected from lightning

Fortunately, no one was injured during the incident.

Footage of lightning in the sky over Paris/Photo by Bertrand Kulik

Experts say such cases are not a serious test for passengers and pilots, since all aircraft must be certified as lightning resistant by having lightning rods at each end of the plane.

Lightning rods catch electricity from the lightning, which is then directed towards the conductive surface of the aircraft. The cabin then acts as a “Faraday cage”, dispersing lightning and protecting the interior of the plane.

In this way, the metal body of the planes serves as protection for the people inside without them even realizing what has happened.

“Don't panic, planes are perfectly prepared for such incidents, which happen on average every 1,500 hours of flight (that is, once or twice a year),” the material adds .

This day became the most “threatening” in France this year

French meteorologists said that Sunday, May 12, became the stormiest day in France in 2024.

Almost 22 thousand lightning flashes were recorded throughout the country.

Hurricanes caused heavy rains, hail, and mudflows. As a result of this bad weather, several regions in northern France were flooded, and powerful hail fell in Versailles and Sevres, near Paris.

Similar cases in the world

• The Fuego volcano continues to erupt in Guatemala. Eyewitnesses managed to record footage of lightning hitting directly into its mouth.
• At the beginning of April, lightning hit the Statue of Liberty in New York. The statue is periodically struck by lightning.
• In March in Canada, a Boeing 777-300 with 550 passengers on board took off from Vancouver Airport and was almost immediately struck by lightning. Eyewitnesses managed to capture this moment on video. Fortunately, there were no casualties, and the plane flew safely to London.