Have you ever wondered why Clock Tower in Makkah always gets struck by lightning strike during thunderstorms?
In the heart of Makkah stands the enigmatic Clock Tower, a symbol that has captured the imagination of many.
Its majestic stance, crowned with a crescent moon, has long been a subject of intrigue. But amid its allure lies a puzzling phenomenon – why does lightning seemingly target only the crescent atop the Clock Tower?
The Answer
The big clock tower in Makkah is built with special parts to keep it safe. There are 800 rods inside it that help protect the clock and the lights from lightning. There are also 20 rods on the tower that can reach out automatically if there’s lightning.
At the very top of the clock tower, there’s a long rod. This rod acts like a magnet for lightning. When a bolt of lightning comes down, the rod guides the dangerous electricity safely into the ground. It does this using special metals like copper and aluminum. This helps make sure the tower doesn’t get hurt by the powerful burst of energy from the lightning.
While the lightning at Clock Tower may look unique it is not as there are many other tall buildings around the world that experience the same phenomenon. One such example is the 828-meter world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa located in Dubai. This marvelous building has at least three lightning hits per month.
Added to this in New York City the Empire State Building gets 100 lightening hits per year and the Petronas Twin Tower in Kuala Lumpur gets hits by lightning 40 times in one single year
