My dad used to go outside and see. He would stand on our covered porch next to a metal post...one day lightening hit the post next to him and jumped to the next one on the other side of him, lucky he was not fried; he did get a jolt as did my dog that was at his side. Maybe it was a good thing your dad was trying to find out on TV.
Holy smokes - your dad was standing by a metal post??!
Well, perhaps now it was good Dad used the TV forecast guy to find out!
Here is southern Calif, we’ve been dancing for rain and we had a bit the other day. We stood outside before it rained and in all my life I don’t think I’ve smelled sulphur in the air more than that day.