bad weather - Behavior during thunderstorms: What you should pay attention to when it thunders and rains
In Germany, according to DWD, approximately two million lightning bolts are recorded each year. The electric current in a lightning channel can temporarily reach up to 400,000 Amperes, and the air there heats up to around 30,000 degrees Celsius within a few milliseconds. For comparison, temperatures on the Sun's surface are roughly six times lower. People are struck by lightning fairly often. The probability of this happening may be low, but it can increase if one behaves unsafely during a thunderstorm.
Behavior during Thunderstorms: Dos and Don'ts
If someone is caught in nature unexpectedly during a thunderstorm, they should keep the following in mind:
- It's best to seek shelter in a solid building - preferably one with a lightning rod. A car also offers protection. Be sure to close windows!
- Avoid trees, tall structures, poles, and metal fences. If one is in the vicinity, they should try to get as far away as possible – at least one hundred meters.
- The saying "Oaks before oaks, but ash before horses" is nonsense. Lightning does not distinguish between tree species. Avoid trees in general.
- Swimming is dangerous during thunderstorms. The water should be left immediately.
- If possible, avoid wet grounds. Do not sit or stand with wide-spread legs. In such a case, a charge would build up between limbs. This discharges itself by passing through the body.
- On open fields: Seek shelter in a cool place and make yourself as small as possible. Crouch down, bring your feet close together, and hug your arms.
- In the mountains, thunderstorms form particularly quickly. Best case scenario, find a stone shelter. A wooden shelter does not provide protection from lightning. If there's not enough time: Assume a protective stance.
- If traveling by bicycle or motorcycle, dismount and maintain a few meters' distance from the vehicle.
If someone sees a thunderstorm approaching, they can estimate how much time they have left to reach safety using a hand formula: Since where it thunders, it also lightens, but sound travels slower than light. To determine the distance of the thunderstorm, one must count the seconds between a lightning flash and the corresponding thunderclap and divide by three. If it's less than five seconds, experts advise seeking shelter, as the lightning is only about 1.5 kilometers away.
Gallery: How the weather in Germany was 50 years ago – and how it will be in 2070
During a thunderstorm, it's crucial to avoid trees, as lightning does not discriminate between tree species. Instead, seek shelter in a solid building or a car. (Avoid trees in general)
If you're caught in an open field and a thunderstorm is approaching, find a cool place and make yourself as small as possible. (On open fields: Seek shelter in a cool place and make yourself as small as possible)
