A British woman has discovered she was “close to death” after her hair began standing on end while she was out walking her dog.
Natalie Stevens had been strolling along La Rocque beach on the island of Jersey when her hair shot up into the air unexpectedly.
She shared a photo of the bizarre occurrence on Facebook where she explained she felt a “tingly feeling” in her head and forehead as “thunder” roared in the distance.
The Australian Bureau of Metorology states hair is known to “stand on end” when a thunderstorm is about to occur and warns it is a sign of imminent danger.
The confronting photo, shared to the Jersey Weather Chat Facebook page, quickly drew attention as many warned it was a sign something dangerous was about to happen.
“FYI, if this happens again it’s a signal that lighting is going to strike you,” one social media user warned.
“You are very lucky, as this is a very sure sign that you are potentially about to be struck by lightning,” another stated.
“That’s a sign of being in danger of being struck by lightning! You were very lucky that you weren’t,” someone else agreed.
The Bureau explains that if you’re caught outside and find your hair appears static, you should “move immediately”.
Seek shelter in a metal-bodied vehicle or solid building but avoid small open structures or fabric tents.
Never shelter under small groups of or single trees.
Another telling sign lightening is about to strike is the appearance of nearby rocks and fences “buzzing”. At night, a “blue glow” may show if an object is about to be struck.
Experts at US National Weather Service advise to “drop to your knees and bend forward” if you find your hair standing on end.
“Don’t lie flat on the ground. Wet ground is a good conductor of electricity,” the site added.
Ms Stevens wasn’t the only one who was unaware of the dangers, with another sharing her own photo of her hair standing on end at the beach.
“You were about two minutes away from dying or being severely hurt,” one concerned user commented.
“Well this was very educational! I had never heard of that,” another stated.