Prince George, the Arrow Lakes and northeastern B.C. are the three areas of the province mostly likely to be hit by lightning, a meteorologist warned a week after a teenager survived a strike in one of these hot zones.

"The area around Prince George is climatologically one of the hot spots in British Columbia for lightning, along with the area down around the Arrow Lakes in southeastern B.C.," said Gabor Fricska, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Meteorological Service of Canada.

"Also the area to the east of the Rockies in northeastern B.C in the Fort Nelson-Fort St John area."

Fricska is urging people who live in these hot zones to take special care, warning that most deaths by lightning happen in open areas, such as sports fields, campgrounds and golf courses.

About 100 Canadians are injured by lightning each year and as many as eight are killed, said the Kelowna-based meteorologist.

The warnings came after a teenage baseball player was struck by lightning in Dawson Creek in northeastern B.C. on June 28.

Christina Wards said she and her 15-year-old daughter, Richelle, were leaving baseball practice when a wild storm blew in.

"Some lightning struck behind us and travelled on the ground and formed a fork around her and I," Wards said. "She [Richelle] started screaming and screaming that her feet hurt, her feet were burning."

Wards said a bolt of lightning struck and lifted her daughter right off her feet when they were about to jump in their van.

Wards said her daughter's rubber baseball cleats likely saved her. Richelle suffered burning and numbness in her feet but no permanent damage, her mother said.

Richelle said some of her friends now call her "Thunderstruck" and "Sparky."

Fricska said there's usually a gap of less than 30 seconds between hearing thunder and seeing lightning.

He advised people to take shelter for at least 30 minutes — inside a house or car but not under a tree.