Lightning in malaysia

Lightning generates extremely large surge current and voltage. Malaysia ranks as one of the highest lightning activities in the world, where the average-thunder day level for Kuala Lumpur is within 180 - 300 days per annum. Eighty percent of the lightning discharge currents to the ground in Malaysia exceed 20 kA with potentials approaching 50 to 100 million volts.

On average, fifty percent of Kuala Lumpur strokes exceed 36 kA, where it is only 28 kA worldwide. Not only the energy of the surge is very high in Malaysia, but the frequency of occurrence as well.

Lightning surge damages household electrical equipment such as radio, television and others. It cans also damage machines and equipment in factories. Thus, surge protection is necessary in order to protect these machines and electrical devices regardless whether it is used in homes, factories, offices or others

Surge protector is a device that reduces random, high energy, short duration electrical power surges caused by lightning, switching or load disruption. It will divert high-energy power away from load by providing a lower impedance path to common point earth.

There are many types of surge protector from many different countries. Most of these equipments often failed to meet requirement to operate in Malaysias extreme lightning strength and frequency.