A 14-year-old boy was transported to an Orlando hospital after he was injured during inclement weather Monday, school officials said.

  • First Academy middle school student injured during inclement weather
  • Fire officials said he was near a tree that was struck by lightning
  • The boy was taken to the hospital in stable condition, officials say

The boy was taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children after he suffered what was reported as a "shock injury." The boy was in the parking lot when fire officials say lightning struck a nearby tree.

The incident happened around 12:53 p.m. at The First Academy, located at 2667 Bruton Blvd. The middle-schooler was responsive when paramedics arrived.

It's unclear what the middle school student was doing at the time.

Ashley Papagni, a spokeswoman for the Orlando Fire Department, said the teen was listed in stable condition after the incident.

The First Academy posted the following statement on its website: "Today, during inclement weather, a middle school student was injured. He was responsive when EMS arrived, and transported to the hospital. Related family members have been contacted."

No other information was immediately available.

In Central Florida, you can be under blue sky yet have dangerous storms close by. News 13’s Weather Experts say you should keep an eye out for quickly changing conditions - and dangerous lightning.

“There is really no safe place outside when thunderstorms are around. When you hear thunder, you can be struck anywhere outside, so it’s best to go inside as quickly as possible,” said meteorologist Mike Simon.

In fact, Simon points out you don’t even have to be right underneath a thunderstorm to be in danger.

“We can get what’s called a bolt from the blue, and they name it that because sometimes we can get lightning that comes out of the anvil, which is running thirty to forty thousand feet up into the atmosphere,” said Simon.

“And that lightning can travel up to ten miles and strike you, even if you have sunny skies.”

Simon says a good rule of thumb is to wait to go back outside 30 minutes after you stop hearing thunder – just to be safe.