Safety Measures During Lightning

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What Safety Measures Should We Take During Lightning?

Given the impact that lightning has and how dangerous it can be, it is important to know how to protect ourselves if we are stuck in a thunderstorm. Let us look at a few safety measures that we can take during lightning.

Safety measures when outside the home

• Stay away from
• Isolated shelters and elevated spaces are also dangerous during
• If travelling on a two-wheeler, we should stop the vehicle at a nearby place like a house or a
• If travelling in a four-wheeler like a car or a bus, it is advised to stay inside the vehicle. All the doors and windows of the vehicle must be shut properly. The vehicle should not be open from any
• If walking on the road, we should seek a safe shelter. If we are carrying an umbrella, it is important that we keep it shut. An open umbrella can be risky in such
• We should stay away from metal objects or
• If no safe shelter is available, the next best thing to do is to squat low on the ground, with the head between the knees as shown in the diagram

 This is a safe position as it turns us into a small object which cannot really be targeted by the lightning. Never lie flat on the ground during lightning.

Safety Measures at Home

• We should strictly avoid any electric gadgets and electrical
• We should try and disconnect all electrical appliances well in advance when we sense the danger of
• Lights working on electricity can be kept switched on only when
• We should avoid the use of landline telephones as they are connected through wires. Cell phones or cordless phones can be used without
• Bathing should be avoided when there is lightning outside so that we are not in contact with running water, as water is a conductor of

Use of Lightning Conductor

The lightning conductor is a device used to protect buildings from the effect of lightning.

 It is a metallic rod, taller than the building, that is installed in the walls of the building during its construction. One end of this rod is in the air and the other end pierces inside the earth’s surface, where there is a metal plate, usually made of copper. The metal rod provides a path for the lightning to be discharged at the metal plate, without affecting the building.

Summary