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Teen struck by lightning in NYC's Central Park as severe weather strikes the east coast

Teen struck by lightning in NYC's Central Park as severe weather strikes the east coast

Independent12 hours ago

A teenager was struck by lightning in New York City 's Central Park as severe weather swept across the east coast on Thursday.
New York City, along with Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., were under severe thunderstorm watches, in the afternoon and evening, according to the National Weather Service.
The service warned of 'large hail, damaging wind, and continuous cloud to ground lightning.'
In Manhattan Thursday afternoon, a teenager was struck by lightning, CBS News reported. The outlet's sources say he was standing under a tree when he and the tree were hit.
The New York City Fire Department told The Independent the teen was taken to Weill Cornell Medical Center.
CBS News reported, citing police, that he had injuries to his neck. Its sources said the teen was in stable condition.
The National Weather Service warned people to move inside 'immediately.'
'Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning,' the service said.
Lightning strikes about 25 million times a year in the U.S., according to the service. Roughly 20 people are killed and hundreds more are severely injured by lightning strikes annually around the country, the service said.
New York City Emergency Management warned of possible severe thunderstorms in the area until at least 9 p.m. ET.
'Main threats are damaging winds and a very small chance of flash flooding and hail. Regardless of severity, all thunderstorms are dangerous. When it roars, go indoors,' emergency officials wrote on X Thursday afternoon.
The severe thunderstorm watches for Philadelphia and Washington D.C. will also be lifted at 9 p.m. ET, according to the National Weather Service.
The severe weather has forced delays in air travel on the east coast Thursday evening.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has grounded flights until 6 p.m. ET, according to the flight tracking site FlightAware.
John F. Kennedy International Airport's inbound flights to New York have been delayed for an average of two and a half hours, FlightAware says.
Philadelphia International Airport is experiencing departure delays of more than an hour, according to the flight tracker.

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Teenager taken to hospital after being hit by lightning in New York's Central Park
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Severe thunderstorms impacted New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. throughout Thursday afternoon and evening. A Teenager was struck by lightning in New York City's Central Park while standing under a tree. The injured teen was taken to Weill Cornell Medical Center with neck injuries and was reported to be in stable condition. The National Weather Service issued warnings for large hail, damaging winds, and continuous lightning, advising people to move indoors immediately. The severe weather caused significant air travel delays at major East Coast airports, including JFK, Ronald Reagan Washington National, and Philadelphia International.

I visited the World Cup final venue in New York... it is dull and dangerously hot
I visited the World Cup final venue in New York... it is dull and dangerously hot

Telegraph

time3 hours ago

  • Telegraph

I visited the World Cup final venue in New York... it is dull and dangerously hot

It is 10.45am at the MetLife Stadium, but it is already dangerously hot. It is 32C in the shade and some fans are feeling it as they walk. Two New Jersey state police officers are sitting in a gazebo outside the vast steel perimeter of what will be the venue for next year's World Cup final. Directly behind them is a large air conditioning unit – pumping chill air out into the open as the searing heat bounces off the tarmac and concrete that stretches out across the vast surrounding car parks and into the rest of the Meadowlands sports complex beyond. The officers are happy, but environmentally, it is a disaster. The 10.45am local time may well be at half-time during next year's World Cup final, which takes place in this stadium not in mid-June but on July 19, the absolute height of summer. And so this is what happened when attending a Club World Cup group game, between the Brazilian club Palmeiras and the Egyptian champions Al-Ahly. 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Horrific NYC lightning strike seriously injures teen in Central Park during freak thunderstorm
Horrific NYC lightning strike seriously injures teen in Central Park during freak thunderstorm

Daily Mail​

time9 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

Horrific NYC lightning strike seriously injures teen in Central Park during freak thunderstorm

A teenager suffered burns to his neck after being struck by lightning in Central Park as he sheltered beneath a tree during a freak thunderstorm in New York. The abrupt change of weather that residents off-guard Thursday afternoon when the skies quickly turned, bringing torrential rain with roaring thunder and bright lightning bolts striking across the city. The teen, who was near 101st Street and Fifth Avenue, was standing under a tree when a bolt struck around 3:40 pm, the FDNY told CBS News. According to police, the electric current was transferred from the tree to a metal chain the boy was wearing around his neck. 'We found him sitting on the path right there,' a police officer told The Daily News. 'He was still conscious. He's lucky to be alive.' The boy was transported to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he remains in stable condition. His name has not been released. Crystal Mateo, 17, was walking nearby when the lightning struck. She witnessed the teen collapse immediately after the flash. 'It was scary,' Mateo told The New York Times. 'I was crying.' Near where the 17-year-old had seen the boy stands a towering elm, about 75 feet tall, Mateo said, explaining that its base was littered with abandoned water bottles, cookie packages, and a volleyball - suggesting a picnic interrupted by the storm. The area near the terrifying strike was roped off with yellow police tape for about an hour as rain continued to pour over the park, The New York Times reported. The storm, which quickly intensified, prompted the National Weather Service to issue a severe thunderstorm warning for the city. Just hours after the unexpected bolt, around 5:15 pm, the storm had passed, and the sun was out again, with people walking dogs in the park. Though lightning strikes are rare in New York City, experts warn they remain a serious threat during sudden storms like the one Thursday afternoon. 'I've never heard of that happening in the city, especially in the park like that,' one concerned Upper East Side resident, Robert LePlae, said. The odds of being struck by lightning in any given year are less than one in a million, though almost 90 percent of victims survive. Despite the low odds, lightning is one of the leading causes of weather-related deaths in the United States. From 2009 to 2018, an average of 27 Americans were killed by lightning each year, according to the National Weather Service. In 2021, a 13-year-old boy was fatally struck while at Orchard Beach in the Bronx. As authorities continue to monitor the teenager's recovery, the incident serves as a reminder of the dangers posed by sudden and severe weather.

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