WE HAVE all heard about the perils of talking on the phone and taking a dip during an electrical storm, but how many old wives' tales about nature's fury are true?

Well, most of them, according to experts.

Energex engineer Mike Swanston said lightning and electricity were so complex and often difficult to explain that many now dismissed sound warnings as urban myths - and the consequences could be fatal.

Here are some truths and falsehoods:

Don't stand under a tree in a storm. True. Lightning will strike the highest object in the area. Trees are often at the highest point; when lightning strikes, the sap boils and the tree explodes.

Don't have a shower during a storm. True. The chance of electric shock is slim but most homes have a link between the plumbing and the main earth connection, so if lightning strikes near the house, the plumbing could become live.

If you are caught in an open space with lightning you should lie down. True. As lightning seeks the highest point, making yourself as low as possible is wise.

You should move if the hair on your neck stands up and you hear a buzzing sound because it means you are about to be struck by lightning. False. "If there is enough static discharge in the air for that … you're about 100th of a second away from being killed - there's no time to move," Mr Swanston said.

If electrical wires fall on your car, you can jump out safely if you don't touch the ground while touching the car. Mr Swanston said this was technically true but his advice was always to stay in the vehicle as rubber tyres insulated it.

Never swim during a storm. True. Whether in pool or ocean, swimming in a storm is dangerous because your head is likely to be higher than the water level, making it the prime target for the lightning.

Never talk on your mobile phone during a storm. False. Mobile phones are perfectly safe to talk on.

Never talk on a landline phone during a storm. True. Mr Swanston said "remote earthing" created the slight chance of a shock.