World News for Students of English

02-07-2026 07:00

A major European heatwave recently moved east toward Germany and Hungary, while a big storm brought lightning and cooler air to Paris. During the storm, lightning struck the Eiffel Tower.

This happens five to ten times every year, but people inside the tower are completely safe. They cannot feel the electricity because the tower has a special protection system. Gustave Eiffel designed this system in 1889. There are nine lightning rods on the tower connected to large copper cables. These cables take the heavy electricity safely down into the ground.

Today, engineers use the tower as a scientific laboratory. They collect data from sensors to study the storms and make the protection better. Experts say that the best and safest places to watch these beautiful storms are from far away, at spots like Montmartre.

Difficult words: rod (a long, thin, and straight piece of wood, metal, or plastic), copper (a soft, reddish-brown metal that is very good at conducting electricity and heat), sensor (a small electronic tool that can find, measure, and record changes in light, heat, or electricity).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.