Singapore - The Merlion Statue, which was slightly damaged in a lighting strike yesterday, is only one of many structures hit by the frequent lightnigh storms that zap across Singapore each year.
Singapore has the dubious honours of being one fo the highest rates of lightning activity in the world as its hot tropical weather is ideal for the formation of storm clouds. An average lightning strike carries a current of up to 200,000 amps. In comparison, a 100-watt bulb carries a current of about 0.4 amp.
Between 1982 and last year, the NEA Meteorological Department detected lightnihg on an average of 186 days per year. And lightning hits each sq km of land 12 to 20 times each year. Because of this, lightning rods on buildings have been mandatory since 1979, as they help intercept lightning bolts.
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