A man filling up his truck with petrol at a garage in New York state had a hair-raising escape last week when he was struck by lightning. The lightning bolt struck the garage forecourt and floored William Hall, who was left unconscious on the ground.

“I started pumping the gas, and I saw a very bright orange light, followed by a very bright white light, and then total darkness; I went out,” said Mr Hall. Apart from sore muscles and blisters on his elbow, he appeared to have escaped significant injuries. Even more surprisingly, the petrol station did not blow up.

Handling metal during thunderstorms is highly risky, as golfers are frequently reminded. Even small pieces of metal can become dangerous. In an unusual case this July, a woman in New Hampshire was struck by lightning through the metal ring in her nose. And three years ago a teenager in a park in London was seriously injured during stormy weather when lightning struck her through the mobile phone she was using. Similar incidents have happened elsewhere in the world.

Even staying indoors during a thunderstorm is no guarantee of safety. In another incident this July, a man in Virginia was talking on his landline phone when lightning hit the outside phone cable and struck him through the phone receiver. He suffered burns to his face and arm from where he was holding the phone to his ear.

Lightning strikes often pass over the human body thanks to the insulating properties of skin. But doctors explain that metal objects in direct contact with the skin can disrupt this flashover, causing a far greater risk of serious injury.