Lightning Storms In The UK Are The Sun's Fault

The Sun Is Pounding The UK With Lightning Storms
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New research has revealed that the increased lightning we've been having in the UK isn't down to some mysterious demi-god with a hammer, it is in fact due to the Sun.

Scientists believe that it is the Sun's own magnetic field which is directly affecting our ability to defend against cosmic rays.

With the Sun bending our own magnetic field the planet is less able to protect itself, allowing cosmic rays to enter the atmosphere which in turn, is believed to cause thunder and lightning.

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They discovered that over the past five years the UK experiences 50 per cent more lightning and thunder when the Earth's magnetic field is distorted by the Sun's.

While little is known around the causes of lightning, the BBC reports that generally accepted theory is that high energy particles called galactic cosmic rays are to blame, acting as the 'wire' upon which lightning can flow through.