On one hand, it would obviously attract lightning, being a tall-ish conducter it would attract it, but cars and the like are said to be (relatively) safe specifically because they direct lightning around you to the ground. I imagine it would be similar to that.

  • litchralee@sh.itjust.works
    English
    31·
    6 hours ago

    but electricity will always run the path of least resistance, which will invariably be the metal gazebo if they’re close enough.

    Not according to the USA National Weather Service:

    The presence of metal makes absolutely no difference on where lightning strikes. Natural objects that are tall and isolated, but are made of little to no metal, like trees and mountains get struck by lightning many times a year.

    • Dookieman12@piefed.socialEnglish
      21·
      5 hours ago

      Those two sentences are entirely unrelated. Just because lightning will strike wood under some circumstances has nothing to do with whether it’s more likely to strike metal.

      A more definitive statement would be, “Lightning has been repeatedly observed striking metal objects, and those made of other materials, with equal frequency, provided the objects are of equal height and in the same general location.”