Another person has been killed by lightning in August — Utah's most deadly month for lightning strikes — and with widespread thunderstorms set to hit most of Utah Monday, forecasters say it's a good time to think about lightning safety.
The National Weather Service is forecasting plenty of storminess throughout the Beehive State Monday and Tuesday.
"And plenty of lightning," meteorologist Andrew Church said. "It is going to be pretty widespread."
On Thursday, a 58-year-old European man became Utah's latest lightning victim as he hiked in Bryce Canyon National Park with three companions.
That death, coupled with the coming storms, are good reasons to remember lightning safety, Church said.
According to the Utah Department of Public Safety, if thunderstorms are imminent outdoor activities should be canceled.
Boaters should exit the water immediately, and hikers in wooded areas should take shelter beneath short trees. Those who are outside should go inside a building or vehicle.
People who are inside should turn off air conditioners, forgo showers or baths, stay away from windows and avoid using the telephone.
Including Thursday's fatality, there have been two deaths from lightning this year in Utah. Last year was the state's most deadly year:
Four people died from lightning.
All told, 59 people have been killed by lightning since 1951 when the state begin keeping records. August is Utah's most deadly month for lightning with 18 deaths. July is second with 16 deaths and the two months together have witnessed 58 percent of all of Utah's lightning fatalities.
In Bryce Canyon on Thursday, the European man and his fellow hikers were traversing the Bristlecone Loop near the south end of the park, public information officer Colleen Bathe said.
The day was overcast but there hadn't been any lightning. Suddenly, about 2 p.m., a bolt flashed and killed the man instantly, Bathe said.
"It was the first bolt that whole afternoon," she said. "It literally struck him and killed him instantly. On either side of him was a 40-foot tree, and it struck him and not the trees. It was unusual."
Bathe said the man's name has not been released, and she wasn't sure which European country he called home.
The three others were not hurt, she said.
"This is a good reminder you just need to be careful, and if the lightning is striking or you hear the thunder or see the lightning fairly close you need to get back in your vehicle," she said.
Thursday's lightning also caused more than 50 wildfires in southern Utah, but by Saturday all but one had been contained. The 1,600-acre Middle Ridge fire was 90 percent contained near the Nevada border, Bureau of Land Management fire Information officer David Boyd said.
"They've been working all over southern Utah and the Arizona Strip putting out all these fires," he said.
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