Read them carefully: Here's what you shouldn't do when there's lightning.

But does this reduce the risk of your house being struck by lightning, or is it just an old tale?

As long as you don't have to go to such extremes and turn off everything, we've gathered below things you shouldn't do when there's lightning storms.

1. Don't wash the dishes and don't shower

One of the ways the lightning enters a post-striking structure is by traveling through plumbing equipment. The metal pipes for water are not only a very good conveyor of the current but also the water they hold may be laden with dirt that also help to transmit the current.

If the lightning hit while you were in the shower, you're probably hit by the current so watch out!

2. Don't talk on the phone.

If the lightning hits a telephone pole, it can cause the current to go through the phone line, on your phone, and immediately into your body through your ear.

Because the danger of electrical shock through the telephone is due to the ability of lightning to travel through wires, mobile phones are safe to use.

Exception is the case when a cell phone is used outside or inside a car, where it would then become dangerous like any other metal object.

3. Do not watch TV or use household appliances

Just as lightning travels through telephone wires, it also travels through electric wires and plugs. Not only is it important to take out electrical devices from the current to avoid being struck by lightning but it is also to protect the equipment itself from the high voltage that can be caused by lightning shock.

4. Do not stand by windows or doors

The lightning has a magnificent view, especially when viewed in the night sky. But the desire to sit down and look at it can be dangerous. The lightning is known to hit the glass and to travel through cracks in doors and windows, the newspaper Express broadcasts.

5. Do Not Drive

Do you think you're safe from lightning in any vehicle? Think about it again! In reality, it is the metal frame that keeps the driver and passengers safe during the trip.

If lightning strikes, it's this same frame that carries the current from outside into the car. So it's good you don't drive when there's a big lightning storm!