Storm- this is complex atmospheric pressure, characterized by intense cloud formation and multiple electrical discharges in the form of lightning. They occur in cumulonimbus clouds, which in this case are called thunderstorms.

Lightning- this is a powerful electrical discharge that has a high voltage of several million volts, a current strength of hundreds of thousands of amperes and very high temperature, up to 25 thousand degrees. An instant lightning strike can cause paralysis, deep loss of consciousness, respiratory and cardiac arrest. When struck by lightning, specific burns remain on the victim’s body in the form of reddish stripes and burns with blisters, direct hit lightning strikes a person often results in instant death due to cardiac arrest, severe injuries internal organs, destruction of tissue and bones, since lightning in this case affects a person like a hammer blow. To avoid becoming a victim of this dangerous natural phenomenon, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules of behavior during a thunderstorm. Most often, lightning strikes in open areas or on a lonely tree, somewhat less often in a room and even less often in a forest, so when a thunderstorm front approaches, you need to stop in advance and find a safe place.

In an apartment, house, building: If you are at home during a thunderstorm, do not go close to electrical wiring, antennas, close windows, turn off the TV, radio and other electrical appliances, and do not touch metal objects. In a private house (dacha), a burning stove poses a particular danger during a thunderstorm, since the smoke coming out of the chimney has high electrical conductivity and can attract an electric discharge. For the same reason, during a thunderstorm, the fire should be extinguished. Eliminate drafts in the house, tightly close windows and chimneys, disconnect electrical appliances from power sources, turn off the outdoor antenna, do not sit near a window, stove, fireplace, massive metal objects, on the roof or in the attic.

Outdoors: When relaxing in nature, before it starts to rain, secure the tent well, that’s it. metal objects: dishes, shovels, saws, hammers, barbecue) place 15-20 m from people, lie down in a tent and wait out the thunderstorm in it. If there is no tent, then isolate yourself from the ground. Place plastic, branches, stones under you. Sit down and group yourself with your head resting on your knees bent, your feet together, and cover yourself with plastic, as a wet body and clothing increase the risk of being struck by lightning.

In the forest: In the forest, take cover among short trees with dense crowns. Most often, lightning strikes oaks, poplars, elms, less often spruce and pine, and very rarely birch and maple trees. During a thunderstorm, it is dangerous to be on the edges of large clearings, in places where water flows. Try to meet a thunderstorm in a clearing, do not seek protection under the crowns of tall or isolated trees, do not lean against their trunks, since a direct lightning strike on a tree can break it into splinters and injure it nearby standing people. Do not sit near a fire: the column of hot air is good guide electricity. Don't climb tall trees. In the forest, the safest place will be a lowland with an array of low trees. You cannot stay in a clearing, especially near a lonely tree.

On open place: In open areas, in the steppe, you should take shelter from thunderstorms in dry holes, ditches, and ravines. But if they start to fill with water, it is better to leave them. It must be remembered that sandy and stone soil is safer than clay soil. Make sure that you are not the highest point in the area, as this is where lightning strikes most often. Do not sit on high places near metal fences, power line supports and under wires, do not walk barefoot, do not hide in a stack of hay or straw, in uninhabited single barracks or sheds, do not lift conductive objects above your head: shovels, hoes, scythes. Stop it sport games and movement, go to cover, do not sit in a dense group in a potentially dangerous place.

By the water: During a thunderstorm, do not swim, stay in the immediate vicinity of a body of water, sail a boat, or fish. If you are on a body of water and see a thunderstorm approaching, immediately leave the water area and move away from the shore. Under no circumstances try to hide in the coastal bushes. If in search of shelter you need to cross open space, do not run, walk at a calm pace. And turn off your cell phone.

In transport: If a thunderstorm finds you in your car, do not leave it, while closing the windows and lowering the radio antenna. Stop driving and wait out the weather on the side of the road or in a parking lot, away from tall trees, and do not stand in a high place or in open field, wait out the thunderstorm inside the car, do not refuel the car during bad weather, do not sit between cars or in the back of the car, do not sit on metal objects, do not hide under the car, do not hold metal objects in your hands. But bicycles and motorcycles can be potentially dangerous at this time. They must be laid on the ground and moved away at a distance of at least 30 meters

On the street: If you are outside, remember: do not run or fuss around in a thunderstorm area, take off all metal jewelry (chains, rings, earrings), do not get close to power lines or tall trees, do not stand next to a metal fence, steel pipes, rails, and also near other electrical conductors. Stay away from agricultural machinery and small vehicles such as motorcycles and bicycles.

Take care of your life and health!

During bad weather people often ignore basic rules security. NTV talks about how to protect yourself during a storm and not be a target for a lightning strike.

Read below

What should you not do during a thunderstorm?

Lightning strikes usually occur in open spaces. NTV reminds about important rules, which will help protect yourself from this natural phenomenon.

1. Under no circumstances should you hide under a tree. Lightning primarily targets tall objects. Oaks, spruces, poplars and pine trees are considered especially dangerous.

2. Do not leave the shelter immediately after rain. Remember that the risk of electric shock remains as long as thunder is heard. To determine how far lightning is from you, try to time the time between the flash of light and the boom. In 3 seconds, sound travels approximately 1 km. If you see that the time from a flash of lightning to thunder is decreasing, this means that a thunderstorm is approaching and you need to immediately go to shelter.

Photo: TASS / Fedor Savintsev

3. You cannot continue driving a bicycle or motorcycle., if bad weather catches you on the road. It is necessary to wait out the thunderstorm at a distance of at least 30 meters from your vehicle. If you were driving a car, stop, close the windows and wait out the storm.

4. You cannot swim during a thunderstorm. It is advisable that there is no river, pond or lake near you at all. Remember that water is an excellent conductor of current, and a lightning strike travels within a radius of 100 meters from it.

5. Try not to hold pointed metal objects in your hands: umbrellas, fishing rods, etc.

6. While in open areas, you can't stand. It is recommended to lie on the ground, preferably in a low place.

What should you not be afraid of?

Don't be afraid to fly during a thunderstorm. Modern aircraft are equipped with a special system of protection against electrical discharges and are adapted to fly in any weather. Remember that lightning strikes aircraft almost always passes without significant consequences.

In addition, you don't have to worry about getting shocked while talking on your cell phone. This can only be dangerous if the phone is metal and comes into contact with the skin.

Don't be afraid to help someone injured during a thunderstorm. There is a common myth that if you touch someone who is electrocuted, you will get hurt. This is wrong. The human body does not hold an electrical charge. It is because of this misconception that in 90% of cases, many victims were not provided with first aid.

Photo: TASS / Sayapin Vladimir

If a person is struck by lightning, they will most likely lose consciousness and may experience seizures and an irregular heart rate. In addition, special marks can be found on the body - spots of gray or pale yellow. They will signal that the person has suffered an electric shock. A lightning strike victim needs immediate hospitalization.

Remember that lightning can strike the same place an unlimited number of times. This is especially true for tall trees and objects.

Thunder and lightning: how to protect yourself during a thunderstorm

In nature, there are many different dangerous natural disasters, cataclysms that lead to the death of a person, as well as the burning of household items and electrical appliances.

In such situations, even adults do not know how to behave during a thunderstorm. Adults need children to early childhood explain precautions in emergency and natural situations.

Lightning is a natural phenomenon that can produce a strong discharge. It can be accompanied by loud sounds and rumbles, and strong hurricane winds often arise.

To protect yourself and your loved ones from natural disasters, there are basic and main rules of behavior during a thunderstorm:

1. It is not recommended to perform active actions, sudden and fast movements, or move quickly indoors in order to reduce the possible risk of impact.
2. If you have a telephone or music player, you must turn them off. It is not allowed to talk on the phone.
3. Get rid of metal devices and elements, if they are on clothing, get rid of it.
4. Take shelter in recesses and holes if lightning strikes you in open areas outdoors.
5. It is strictly forbidden to stay near bodies of water or in water.
6. Take a sitting position; it is not recommended to lie on the ground.

Important to remember! At the slightest sign of lightning, you must take care of your safety in advance so as not to become a lightning rod.

The main thing is to follow the basic rules on time.

1. You should not go close to windows if they are open; you must close windows and doors.
2. Unplug the TV, computer and other electrical appliances to ensure electrical safety. A lightning strike can cause them to malfunction.
3. It is not recommended to light the stove and fireplaces during a severe thunderstorm.
4. If you find ball lightning in your apartment, hide in a secluded place or move away from it.

Even if you are in a room, apartment or house during a disaster, you can suffer from it.

What not to do?

It is not possible to completely protect yourself from lightning and thunderstorms. She can catch a person anywhere, and also penetrate into any room.

Even the safest places cannot protect people from lightning strikes or harm to human health.

In real time, there is no such thing as a safe place. You can protect yourself by doing everything useful recommendations during natural disasters.

Important to remember! In all situations that arise, you need to ensure complete calm, look around you and follow useful advice.

1. It is prohibited to hide in water or remain near bodies of water. Water can always attract a discharge to itself and strike a large area around, with a radius of up to 100 meters.
2. You should not overload yourself with bulky objects, especially metal ones.
3. It is not allowed to hide under spreading and big tree, they attract lightning strikes to themselves. It is better to hide under a small bush, or in a hollow, hiding behind low-growing bushes.
4. If you are near electrical poles or power plants, you should immediately run away from them.

If the location appears in an open place, immediately turn off the devices you have with you.

Safety rules and precautions for thunderstorms on an airplane, forest and other places

A thunderstorm can catch people in various unusual places and situations.

Let's consider in the table where it is safe to be and where it is dangerous and how to behave in different places during a thunderstorm:

When traveling by transport open type, during thunderstorms, you must stop and leave the location of the vehicle at a safe distance, at least 50 meters.

An important step is calm, which helps to maintain human lives and does not cause injury.

If a loved one or someone nearby is struck by lightning, you should urgently call an ambulance.

To alleviate the situation and save his life, try to provide him with first aid, perform cardiac massage and artificial respiration.

Useful video

ADVICE. You should remain inside the vehicle if the interval between the lightning spark discharge and the sound of thunder is up to 15 seconds.

Actions to take while on an airplane

Having a metal body, the aircraft provides protection to passengers based on the principle of a Faraday shield. And even if a lightning strike occurs directly on the plane (on the ground, during the flight), people will be reliably protected. Greater danger comes from sharply increasing wind and turbulence, which are the “companions” of a thunderstorm. Therefore, experienced pilots try to avoid thunderstorms.

What to do if you are at home

If you have a lightning protection system, you, your loved ones and property are not in danger. An external lightning protection system ensures the safety of the building as a structure during a thunderstorm, from destruction and the occurrence of fires and fires to everything. This system intercepts direct lightning strikes and diverts them into the ground, protecting the building from damage and preventing fire.

Such systems should only be installed by qualified specialists. Lightning protection systems from the MZK-Electro company, made from high quality materials and corresponding to the necessary technical specifications and standards in the field of lightning protection. With us you will receive a free consultation and cost estimate in different price categories based on your preferences. Moreover, this can be either turnkey installation with the implementation of the entire range of work from design to commissioning, or separate installation or supply of components (we are a dealer of all famous manufacturers equipment for lightning protection, so our prices are even cheaper than those of manufacturers)

However, external lightning protection will be most effective only when combined with internal lightning protection. In the latter case, surge protection devices (SPDs) are used. Internal lightning protection prevents the failure of electronic and electrical devices susceptible to voltage surges due to the destructive effects caused by lightning.

What can you do during a thunderstorm?

Watch TV

Watching TV is allowed in any case, and if, in addition, your house has internal and external lightning protection systems that provide reliable protection building, property and people inside, then sudden problems in the power supply system and on the antenna line will also not cause you trouble.

Work on computer

To safely use a PC during a thunderstorm, it is desirable to have devices included in the internal lightning protection that protect the equipment from surge voltages. Such devices must provide protection for Ethernet, signal and power lines against sudden voltage changes caused by remote and direct electrical lightning strikes.

Conversations on the phone

A telephone conversation during bad weather is not dangerous if the communication line is protected from sudden voltage surges and lightning. Usage mobile phone also not dangerous.

Swim and shower

A lightning strike provokes the spread of current through communication systems and structures made of metal. That is, if the external metal structures are not grounded, then you can easily get high potential from the outside through internal communications. For example, water pipes they are. As a result, a person exposes himself to the danger of being electrocuted. Therefore, it is better if the house is protected by such elements of the lightning protection system as surge arresters or other SPDs (surge protection devices).

First aid for lightning strikes

The severity of the injury may vary. So in some cases there is muscle contraction, nerve spasms, blood pressure jumps, and the person can breathe heavily. In more difficult situations, he is without consciousness and with signs serious problems heart rate (slow breathing, very weak pulse, dilated pupils). In this case, you must immediately call an ambulance, and before it arrives, try to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (cardiac massage and artificial respiration).