As the Met Office issues a yellow weather warning for many parts of the UK, here are five things you should avoid doing during a thunderstorm.
The national weather service has issued yellow and amber warnings for Monday, June 12 and Tuesday, June 13.
The warning has been put in place for Northern and South East Scotland, North and South West England as well as parts of Wales and Northern Ireland.
Brits have been told to prepare for some disruption including difficult driving conditions, possible flooded roads as well as a slight chance of power cuts.
⚠️ Yellow weather warnings UPDATED ⚠️
— Met Office (@metoffice) June 12, 2023
Slow moving thunderstorms developing this afternoon may bring some disruption.
Today 1200 – 2100
Latest info 👉 https://t.co/QwDLMfRBfs
Stay #WeatherAware⚠️ pic.twitter.com/yP8iiphS9g
The Met Office has also issued guidance on how to deal with the severe weather including advice on driving and how to tell how far away a storm is from you.
With this in mind, here are five things you should avoid doing to help you prepare and stay safe during the storms.
Avoid using the landline, unless in an emergency
Unless it is an emergency, you should avoid using any corded landline phones in the midst of a thunderstorm.
That being said, it is safe to use your cordless or cellular mobile phones.
Avoid outdoor activities like golf, fishing or sailing
One of the first rules, when a thunderstorm comes, is to seek an enclosed shelter like a house, office or shopping centre.
Therefore, you should avoid or immediately stop activities that take place in open spaces or on water.
Some of these activities include the likes of golf, fishing or boating.
It is also recommended that you immediately leave elevated areas like hills and mountains as well as bodies of water like ponds and lakes.
You should also not seek shelter from isolated trees or cliffs.
Avoid windows, doors and concrete
It is recommended that you stay away from windows and doors during a storm.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stressed that you should not lie on a concrete floor or lean on concrete walls during a storm either.
This is due to the fact that lightning can travel through any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring.
Avoid open spaces and structures
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that you avoid open structures as a means of shelter during a thunderstorm.
These structures including porches, gazebos and sports arenas will not protect you from lightning.
It also advises that you stay away from objects that conduct electricity.
In particular, you should avoid the likes of barbed wire fences, power lines, and windmills.
Avoid using electronics plugged into the wall
You should avoid any non-essential appliances during a thunderstorm.
The reason is, our tech has not been created to withstand this kind of surge in electricity.
You should unplug your TVs, and computers among other appliances to avoid damaging them.
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