Thunderstorms & lightning
A storm is a giant cloud generator that might threaten people, animals, nature and infrastructure. Dangerous phenomena accompanying a storm include: violent, intense rainfall, the formation of floods, snowfall, sudden, strong gusts of wind, hail, lightning, electromagnetic pulse and tornadoes.
Lightning is an electrical discharge of very high intensity, about 1000 times greater than that in the home electricity network, which carries negative electrical charges towards the ground. Lightning is the main cause of injury and death.
Before
• Get familiar with the risk of a lightning storm. In the majority of places, they might occur all year around at any time
• Receive weather alerts
• Find solid buildings nearby the place you live, work and study
• Cut or trim trees that can threaten to fall on your home
• Consider buying surge suppression strips or a lightning protection system to keep your home, equipment and electronics safe
During
• When you hear the thunder, go home. A solid building is the safest place to hide during a storm
• Listen to the weather forecast and local media
• Prepare to change your plans, if necessary, to be close enough to a safe place
• Avoid being outdoor, look for shelter in the building
• While being outside – try to get into a safe position (squat bringing your feet as close as possible to each other)
• Squat immediately if you feel the electrical charges in the air and your hair rose up
• If you’re in a group of people: split up to not form a cluster
• Don’t talk on your mobile phone (preferably turn it off)
• Avoid contact with metal objects
• Don’t stand under a single tall tree or near tall structures, high voltage lines, wires or traction
• Get off the top of the hill to a lower location
• Get out of the water boat or kayak ashore, immediately
• In the apartment or a house: close all windows, remove (or secure) objects that could be blown away by the wind (umbrellas, pots, laundry dryers, etc.) from the balcony, terrace, courtyard and farmyard. Remove electrical appliances from contacts. Don’t talk on the landline and don’t use a running water. Electricity may pass through drains and telephone lines
• Avoid using electrical and electronic equipment powered from the mains (hairdryers, blenders, etc.), as the use of these devices, in the event of lightning strikes the terrestrial electricity grid, may result in an electric shock that spreads through the wiring
• Avoid flooded roads. Don’t enter the water
After
• Listen to the authorities and weather forecasts for information about whether it’s safe to go outside
• Watch out for lying or hanging power lines. Report them immediately to the emergency number 112. Don’t remove trees that have fallen onto power lines by yourself
• Listen to the announcements about a possible flash flood
• If you see sparks in the electrical system, burned wires, feel the smell of a burned installation, turn off the electricity and gas, and call the technical services