Maybe I am having paranoid, but I still wish to have a logical solution to my concern.
I almost always keep my eyes looking at the ground whenever there is lightning and thunder, I don’t know how strong the flash is.
I’d like to know, if I look up to the sky while there is a lightning flash, is the intensity of flash bad enough to cause any permanent or accumulated adverse effect to our eyes?
In contrary, I am not too worried about lightning strike because I am living in a densely populated city where are too many tall buildings. I am more concerned about my eye health.
Because of its extreme brilliance, a nearby lightning strike often causes temporary blindness and afterimages. Some reported cases of ball lightning may in fact be due to lightning afterimages.
If you happen to be closer to the strike such that a side flash hits, or if an upward-heading streamer originates from your head, neurological damage may (rarely) cause permanent blindness.
