A juvenile male was struck by lightning Friday afternoon in Aurora and taken to Aurora South Hospital.
Later in the evening, he was transferred to the University of Colorado Hospital, which, according to officials at Aurora South, is better equipped to handle his injuries.
A spokeswoman for the Aurora Fire Department said the incident happened at about 3:50 p.m. on Centerpoint Drive, just south of East Alameda Parkway.
The spokeswoman said the child’s condition was unknown, adding that he may have been struck while in a field adjacent to a Regional Transportation District station.
According to state climatologist Nolan Doesken of the Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University, May marks the beginning of the state’s heavy lightning season. During that period, which hits a peak later in the month and lasts virtually through August, Doesken said there are days when thousands of lightning strikes are registered on the facility’s detection system.
“One of the areas that are more prone for strikes is down near the New Mexico border,” he said. “The other is in Douglas County, heading into Arapahoe County.”
According to the National Weather Service, Saturday’s forecast calls for a lower chance of thunderstorms, the probability dropping to between 10 and 20 percent after 3 p.m.
The high temperatures should be in the mid-70s.
