It is currently the season when thunderstorms occur frequently. According to monitoring by the China Meteorological Administration, from 8:00 AM on August 11 to 8:00 AM on August 12, over 300,000 lightning strikes were detected nationwide, with the most intense activity occurring in the central Sichuan Basin, central Shanxi, eastern Hebei, eastern Beijing, Tianjin, and northern Shandong. So, what should we pay attention to during a thunderstorm?
Lan Yu, an engineer from the Severe Weather Forecasting Center of the China Meteorological Administration, explained that the meteorological department has set up a lightning monitoring network across the country, which can remotely measure instantaneous currents reaching the ground from clouds in real time, locate cloud-to-ground lightning, and offers relatively high spatiotemporal resolution. The effective monitoring range of a single lightning monitoring device is over 100 kilometers.
Fang Lang, a senior engineer at the Severe Weather Forecasting Center of the China Meteorological Administration, said that if you are indoors during a thunderstorm, you should pay special attention to avoiding using electrical appliances and making phone calls. When using the telephone, try to only use cordless phones or mobile phones, and stay away from power sockets, telephone lines, and other devices connected to external lines. It is best to turn off indoor electrical appliances and unplug their power cords, and avoid using fixed telephones and devices near electrical wires and telephone lines.
During a thunderstorm, it is best not to touch gas pipes, water pipes, or any electrified devices at home. Avoid taking a shower or bathing when there is lightning outdoors, as lightning may travel along water currents.
The danger of being outdoors during a thunderstorm is much greater than being indoors. In the event of severe convective weather, if you are outside, you should immediately seek shelter — preferably in buildings equipped with lightning rods, steel-framed structures, or reinforced concrete buildings, or use a vehicle with a fully enclosed metal body.
Do not take shelter under large trees during a thunderstorm. If absolutely necessary, keep a distance of 3 meters from the trunk, crouch down, and bring your legs together. When no shelter is available, never go near open areas or isolated trees on mountaintops, as they are most prone to lightning strikes; avoid staying in open water or small boats; also steer clear of the edges of dense forests, around power lines or flagpoles, near tall objects without lightning protection such as haystacks or tents, close to railroad tracks, long metal railings, or other large metal objects, and do not remain on mountaintops or high points. Do not stay on high-rise building platforms, open bodies of water, or small boats, near power lines or flagpoles, by railroad tracks, metal railings, or other large metal objects during thunderstorms.
If no suitable shelter is found, you should lower your center of gravity and reduce contact between your body and the ground — crouch down, bring your feet together, place your hands on your knees, and lean forward. Never lie on the ground, in a ditch, or a pit. Wearing a raincoat can further improve lightning protection. Groups of people in the wild, whether moving or stationary, should keep several meters apart and avoid crowding together. You may also take shelter in larger caves.
In addition, if you feel ants crawling on your head, neck, or hands, or if your hair stands on end during a thunderstorm, it indicates that a lightning strike is imminent. You should quickly lie flat on the ground and remove any metal accessories you are wearing, such as jewelry, hairpins, or necklaces, to reduce the risk of being struck. During a thunderstorm, avoid using umbrellas in open fields or raising objects like badminton rackets, golf clubs, or hoes. Do not engage in outdoor sports, wash clothes, fish, or swim by the river. People struck by lightning may suffer burns or severe shock but are not electrically charged and can be treated safely.
Can you use a mobile phone during a thunderstorm? Lan Yu stated that if you are inside a building with a lightning rod and electromagnetic shielding, using a mobile phone or chatting on WeChat is fine, as the risk is practically negligible. Electrical appliances connected to wiring are more dangerous than mobile phones. Although the claim that “using a mobile phone attracts lightning” has not been scientifically proven, it is safer to avoid using your phone outdoors during a thunderstorm.