The temperature of the air around a bolt of lightning is about 54,000°F (30,000°C), which is six times hotter than the surface of the Sun! In cloud-to-ground lightning, energy seeks the shortest route to Earth, which could be through a person’s shoulder, down the side of the body, through the leg, and into the ground. As long as the lightning does not pass across the heart or spinal column, the victim can usually survive.