Physicist James Rawlings Warns Against Shower Use During Thunderstorms

Lightning strikes can travel through a building's metal plumbing and the water flowing within it, reaching fixtures such as showers or taps. Physicist James Rawlings of Nottingham Trent University explains that the electric discharge seeks the fastest path to ground, and metal pipes or water provide a conductive route that can expose a person using a shower or bath.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends avoiding all activities involving running water—showers, baths, hand washing, dishwashing, or touching metal fixtures—while a thunderstorm is in the vicinity. Medical rescuer Christopher Bazzoli cites cases where individuals were shocked under a running shower after a nearby lightning strike. The advice applies even to modern homes with plastic piping, as water itself remains a good conductor.