Lightning, often associated with hills and mountainous terrain, is not confined to high ground and can strike anywhere under the right atmospheric conditions, sometimes with deadly consequences, experts say.

The reminder follows a recent lightning strike in Ngoma District that killed nine people and injured six others. The victims, all farmers, were struck on Sunday, January 4, while taking shelter from rain in Jarama Sector.

Researchers say such incidents are driven by natural atmospheric processes, storm movement and human behaviour during rainfall, rather than altitude alone.

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How lightning forms and travels

Jean Baptiste Nsengiyumva, a researcher in disaster risk reduction, told The New Times that lightning is generated by cumulonimbus clouds, large storm clouds capable of producing massive electrical charges.

"Lightning is influenced by weather systems, wind patterns and topography,” he said. "While elevated terrain can attract lightning, storms do not remain fixed in one location.”

He explained that strong winds can transport storm clouds over long distances, allowing lightning to strike far from where the storm originally formed.

"A storm may develop in one region and release lightning in another,” Nsengiyumva said. "That is why lightning can occur even in areas not traditionally considered high-risk.”

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Lightning without rainfall

Lightning can also strike without rainfall, a phenomenon that is often poorly understood and can fuel fear and misinformation.

Collette Mukakarangwa, a 70-year-old resident of Kibungo Sector in Ngoma District, recalled an incident from about two decades ago when a man was struck dead on a clear day.

"There was no rain and no storm. It was sunny, and suddenly lightning struck,” she said. "People were shocked because they could not explain what had happened.”

Confusion quickly turned into rumours, with some residents accusing a nearby elderly woman of witchcraft due to a land dispute.

"There was no evidence, but emotions were very high,” Mukakarangwa said, adding that community intervention helped prevent violence.

Nsengiyumva stressed that lightning is a natural phenomenon with no supernatural cause.

"Lightning is the discharge of electrical energy within clouds or between clouds and the ground,” he said. "Some storm clouds produce lightning even when rain evaporates before reaching the ground.”

Why tall objects are more exposed

Lightning tends to strike the tallest objects because electrical energy follows the shortest path to the ground. As a result, tall trees, buildings without lightning conductors, antennas and telecommunications towers are particularly vulnerable.

"The energy comes from above, so height matters,” Nsengiyumva said. "That is why lightning conductors are installed at the highest point of buildings.”

He also warned that standing near windows, antennas or using mobile phones during thunderstorms increases the risk of injury.

Understanding lightning and thunder

The distance of a lightning strike can be estimated by counting the seconds between seeing the flash and hearing the thunder—the shorter the gap, the closer the strike.

Nsengiyumva added that lightning can also travel through the ground, making it dangerous for people sleeping directly on the floor during storms, as electrical current can spread through soil.

Prevention remains uneven

Lightning arresters remain the most effective form of protection, especially in homes, schools and public gathering places. Despite this, their adoption remains limited.

"Some people choose not to install lightning conductors even when constructing expensive houses,” Nsengiyumva said. "Yet the cost of protection is far lower than the losses caused by a single strike.”

He said both public and private buildings should prioritise lightning protection, particularly in areas prone to frequent thunderstorms.

The government, he added, is implementing environmental restoration and disaster risk-reduction policies, including Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) and carbon market programmes, aimed at strengthening ecosystems and reducing climate-related risks.

"Lightning can occur anywhere,” Nsengiyumva said. "What matters is awareness, preparedness and taking the right protective measures.”

Lightning Rwanda’s deadliest hazard

According to the Rwanda Statistical Yearbook 2025 published by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), lightning remains the country’s deadliest environmental hazard in terms of immediate loss of life.

During the 2023–2024 period, Rwanda recorded 1,114 lightning incidents—the highest among all disaster events. Rainstorms accounted for 681 cases, landslides 409 cases, while floods recorded fewer incidents.

Over the same period, disasters killed 154 people and injured 234 others.

Lightning alone accounted for 72 deaths—about 45 per cent of all disaster-related fatalities—while windstorms and landslides caused greater damage to property and livelihoods.

These disasters destroyed or damaged 4,370 houses and affected 1,659 hectares of crops. They also killed 117 cattle and 1,180 small livestock, with significant losses reported in pastoralist areas.