THE first thunderstorm season of the year, which normally starts in February, is set to begin soon and if the recent floods is anything to go by, it may be more violent than usual.
Thanks to the Lightning Protection group on Yahoo, there is a safety video on lightning produced in Canada, a country which has much less lightning than this country.
In order to avoid any untoward incidents, the lightning safety rule below should be adhered to strictly especially by students and young adults who seem to make up for most of the lightning deaths and injuries in the past:
*Stop all outdoor activities and seek a shelter as soon as you see dark thunder clouds gather on the horizon or over the hill. Lightning can strike up to 15km away from the thundercloud, even before the rain starts;
*Run for a shelter if you can hear a thunder or see a lightning bolt. You are already in danger of being struck by lightning;
*Do not wait for the rain to fall before you act. Sometimes, lightning occurs before the rain starts to fall. Never use an umbrella in a lightning storm;
*Do not take shelter under a tree or in a tent, small shed, a kongsi, rotunda, roadside or food stall. For small shelters, ensure that they have been installed with a proper lightning protection system before you take shelter in them;
*Take shelter inside a sturdy or large building (eg. a shop or a house), inside a metal roofed vehicle (eg. a bus, van or car) or under a large structure (eg. a bridge);
*Do not loiter outside a large building to avoid being struck by debris from lightning damage;
*If there is no proper shelter nearby, get down from an elevated position (eg. mound, hill top or platform). Get into any depression in the ground or in a dry drain;
*Get into a Lightning Defensive Position i.e. squat down with your feet together and close your ears with your hands. Do not lie down. Do not touch anyone or any metal objects (eg. fence, gate etc.) near you;
*If it rains, get your clothes wet because wet clothing helps to reduce serious injuries to the lightning struck person. Let the current flow over you instead of inside you;
*Inside a shelter, do not touch any metallic object, electric equipment or cable. Do not use the telephone unless it is really urgent. Use a mobile phone instead (if available). Keep away from the balcony, verandah, doorway, window, wall or pillar; and
*Stay inside your shelter for 30 minutes after the last thunder is heard. Lightning can strike up to 15km away from the thundercloud, even after the rain had stopped.
H. Zahar
Kuala Lumpur