how far is lightning from me

To calculate how far lightning is from you, use the "flash-to-bang" method:

1. As soon as you see the lightning flash, start counting the seconds until you hear the thunder.
2. Divide the number of seconds counted by 5 to get the distance in miles, or divide by 3 to get the distance in kilometers.

For example, if you count 15 seconds between the flash and the thunder, the lightning is about 3 miles (or 5 kilometers) away. This works because light travels almost instantly, while sound travels much slower—taking about 5 seconds to travel one mile or 3 seconds to travel one kilometer.