This week's question comes from John Rathier in Ottawa, who asks 'why doesn't lightning travel in a straight line?'
Here's Dr. Gerhard Reuter, professor of atmospheric science at the University of Alberta's answer:
Lighting is an electric current. It's a flow of electrons that's about a thousand times stronger than the current in our houses. Lightning basically tries to find the path of least resistance as it travels down to the ground. But this is not always a straight line because air is not a perfect mixture. There are fluctuations in temperature, humidity, pollutants, dust particles, etc. in the air, and so the resistance varies. As a result, lightning strikes are often observed in a zigzag pattern.
The power is back on Saturday after thunderstorms in Manitoba knocked out power for thousands of customers Friday night, Manitoba Hydro says.
A spokesperson told CBC News a lightning strike hit the Grand Beach substation around 7 p.m.
Hydro said 2,388 customers near Grand Beach, about 80 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, and Grand Marais, just south of Grand Beach, were affected.
The Crown corporation said power was restored to everyone by 3:30 a.m. Saturday.
