December 1, 2010
Scotland

Michelin wind turbine struck by ‘thunder snow’ lightning

The Courier, www.thecourier.co.uk 1 December 2010

A wind turbine at Dundee’s Michelin factory was struck by lightning during the ‘thunder snow’ storm at the weekend – and the spectacle was caught on video.

Douglas man George Donaldson was amazed to see one of the structures on the Baldovie Road site hit by lightning several times in the space of 15 minutes.

He said, “I was watching from the house when I saw one of the turbines get hit. Every time it struck one of the blades you saw sparks coming off it.

“It happened once and then it happened a few more times within the next 15 minutes.”

Another resident captured the scenes and posted his footage on YouTube.

Ian Peart, personnel manager at the Michelin factory, said the reported lightning strikes had caused no damage to the turbines.

“They are operating normally after the weekend,” he said. “The turbines are obviously built to deal with lightning strikes and they are designed to cope.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2010/12/01/michelin-wind-turbine-struck-by-thunder-snow-lightning/