Weather myths: What science says about thunderstorm superstitions

From the DOST public archive. Original source publication date: 2026-08-19. Captured 2026-09-04. Read the original DOST source.

This record preserves information as published on the source website. It does not confirm that a historical opportunity, deadline, service requirement, contact, or planned project is current. Check with the responsible DOST office before acting.

Staged text edition: Source images are not included because image recovery was blocked. The captured article text is preserved; illustrations remain pending recovery.

Weather-related myths or beliefs have been passed down to generations. From unplugging electronic devices, to covering mirrors and avoiding taking baths, many Filipinos believe these myths, and remain in practice to this day.

In the Philippines, thunderstorm superstitions vary from every part of the country. Some believe that placing scissors, knives, or other metal objects outside the house can drive lightning away. In some places, wearing red-colored clothes during a thunderstorm is strictly prohibited as they believe this will increase the likelihood of being struck by lightning.

While some of these may not be true, experts say previous generations had bases for claiming these superstitions.

But what does science actually say about this?

Lolas were right…. somehow

Have your parents or grandparents ever forbidden you from bathing during a thunderstorm? The elders said you might get struck by lightning. This is among the most common thunderstorm superstitions in the country.

However, because lightning strikes inside a home are very rare, many Filipinos dismiss this safety warning.

“This actually has a scientific basis. Why? Because your plumbing—especially when you are bathing and are wet—is connected to the water supply. If lightning strikes your house and the electrical current travels directly into your plumbing system, you’re in trouble. You could still get struck by lightning,” Lean Michael A. Malabanan said.

Malabanan is a weather specialist at the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (DOST-PAGASA).

According to experts, when lightning discharges into or is near a building, it naturally follows the path of least resistance to the ground. Metal pipes and the water flowing inside them act as highly efficient highways for electrical currents.

Aside from that, Malabanan said elders were also right about unplugging electronic devices like televisions, and refrigerators among others during thunderstorms.

“Parents were actually right back then [about the risk of the TV getting damaged—or your appliances getting ruined]. There is a valid basis for that. You see, if lightning strikes the house, the electrical surge could enter the appliances and destroy them. That would be a waste,” Malabanan explained.

Therefore, while rooted in superstitions, there are actually weather-related beliefs that may encourage and promote safe behavior. So yes, our ‘lolas’ were kind of right… somehow.

However, it is important to note that there are also beliefs that should be corrected and properly explained to the public, as it may influence how they would respond to the hazard.

For instance, in most places, Filipinos believe that placing sharp objects like knives and scissors outside the house can drive rains and lightning away. But experts said this practice can be more dangerous.

“It is also not true that metal objects—such as knives, scissors, and the like—repel lightning. In fact, they are actually more dangerous. What you can do is install a lightning rod to protect your electronics and your home's electrical system. That way, instead of the lightning striking your appliances, it will be directed to the lightning rod—and from there, it will be channeled into the ground,” Malabanan said.

A lightning rod, by definition, is a metal pole placed on top of a building to protect the structure from lightning.

Another is that jewelry does not actually attract lightning, so it is safe to wear it during a thunderstorm. However, experts explain that it may increase the severity of injuries if a person is struck.

“The painful part about wearing jewelry during a thunderstorm is that if you get struck by lightning, the metal heats up. For instance, if it’s gold or silver—since it’s a metallic object—it becomes extremely hot. So, aside from the electric shock, you will also suffer burns,” Malabanan said.

Also, he added that the most widespread yet—scientifically incorrect—is the belief that using mobile phones is dangerous during a thunderstorm. Most of us have probably heard about that from our parents before, or even now.

“A cellphone does not emit a signal strong enough to attract lightning. However, keep in mind that if a device is plugged into a wall outlet—whether it’s a TV, an appliance, or anything else—you should unplug it during a thunderstorm. This is because if lightning strikes your house, your appliances could be affected or damaged,” Malabanan said.

Indeed, whether or not these beliefs are true, it is more important for the public to take necessary precautions and stay indoors during thunderstorms than to simply follow superstitions, according to experts.

What makes lightning and thunder

Thunderstorm events are very much common in the Philippines, occurring year-round due to tropical climate, high humidity, and warm temperatures, according to weather experts.

While most of it happens more often during warm and dry seasons, experts from the DOST said that thunderstorms are also likely to occur during the ‘Habagat’ season or southwest monsoon, because of the continuous source of moisture.

“Lightning is a massive discharge of static electricity within a thunderstorm. So, how does static electricity form? If we look back at the process of how a thunderstorm develops, we need three main ingredients: moisture, a lifting mechanism, and atmospheric instability,” Marco Polo A. Ibañez said.

Ibañez is also a weather specialist and a storm chaser member of DOST-PAGASA.

During a thunderstorm, there is what we call an updraft. Ibañez explained that these are strong vertical air currents that cause thunderstorms to develop and grow larger.

These updrafts also carry particles—such as cloud droplets—within the cloud to higher elevations. As it gets higher, it also gets cooler until it reaches the freezing layer.

“Once that threshold is exceeded, the cloud droplets undergo a phase change; they freeze into ice crystals. The interaction—specifically the collisions—between these solid ice crystals inside the cloud is what generates a charge difference. When that charge difference becomes excessive, a spark is produced, which is what we see as lightning. Thunder, on the other hand, is the sound created by lightning,” Ibañez explained.

During a thunderstorm, lightning and thunder occur simultaneously. However, as they say, light travels faster than sound. The speed of light is around 300,000 kilometers per second, whereas the speed of sound is only at 343 meters per second.

Consequently, we see the lightning first before we can even hear the sound of thunder.

How are thunderstorms forecasted?

Thunderstorms form over a very short period of time. Ibañez said that it can develop in just about 2- 3 hours.

In fact, at DOST-PAGASA, they referred to it as "nowcasting," since it deals with the immediate future—as opposed to standard forecasting, which covers the next day or beyond.

According to Ibañez, DOST-PAGASA has regional services divisions to handle this precisely because thunderstorms are highly localized phenomena.

“If the forecasting is done at the national level, it will cover the entire Philippines [thus] it is better to have a regional services division. The primary tools we use are weather radars and synoptic stations,” Ibañez explained.

These weather radars scan data every 10 minutes. It is where the experts monitor cloud development in real time, within the area of ​​responsibility of the PRSD—or the DOST-PAGASA Regional Services Division.

Also, to get an idea of ​​whether conditions are favorable to form a thunderstorm, weather forecasters also use upper-air sounding data using a weather balloon, which is launched by DOST-PAGASA at 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM.

Under the PRSDs, DOST-PAGASA has two thunderstorm products: the thunderstorm watch and the [thunderstorm] advisory.

“The thunderstorm watch simply gives an indication from [DOST-]PAGASA whether a thunderstorm is highly likely or not likely to occur within the next 12 hours. However, for the next three to six hours, DOST-PAGASA issues thunderstorm advisories. DOST-PAGASA provides these advisories through municipal-level maps showing areas,  which are likely to experience and which are currently being affected by thunderstorms.” Ibañez said.

The public can access these advisories on the Facebook pages of the different PRSDs, and on the DOST-PAGASA’s flagship project—the PANaHON (PAGASA Nationwide Hydrometeorological Observation Network) web and mobile app.

This mobile application gives localized and real-time warnings, depending on the user’s location.

It can be downloaded for free on Google Play Store for Android users and Apple App Store for iOS devices.

PAGASA is one of the attached agencies of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) aimed at providing science-based, innovative, and inclusive solutions across four strategic pillars: human well-being, wealth creation, wealth protection, and sustainability. These pillars embody the mantra OneDOST4U: Solutions and Opportunities for All. For more information, visit www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph and official Facebook page. (By Claire Bernadette A. Mondares, DOST-STII)