What to do when a storm catches us in the forest, in the field, on the water?

 The well-known mechanism of electrifying objects by rubbing and electrostatic induction also works in storm clouds. It results in special effects accompanying thunderstorms in the form of lightning. The collision of hot and cool air masses causes the formation of strong rising currents, and as a result of the air movement, water drops, and ice crystals collide with each other. The lighter positively charged crystals move upwards, creating an electropositive cloud top. At the bottom, such a huge negative charge accumulates that the potential difference between the cloud and the earth can amount to many millions of volts. Natural electrostatic discharges in the atmosphere, i.e. lightning, are accompanied by thunder and lightning. However, this wonderful and fascinating phenomenon can be very dangerous, especially for people in the open. How to behave in order to avoid a lightning strike with high probability?

The thunder and lightning in the sky are undoubtedly one of the most impressive spectacles of nature. The menacing murmurs of the oncoming storm make an impression on everyone, especially when we are away from home. With simple calculations, you can quickly find out how far the storm is and how fast it is approaching.

Thunder and lightning occur together during a storm, but with a greater or lesser time shift. The reason is that light travels much faster than sound. The speed of light is about 300 million meters per second, while sound travels only about 343 meters per second. This value is not exact as the speed of sound depends on air humidity and temperature.

In any case, the flash of lightning reaches us before the roar of the thunder (unless we had the misfortune to be very close to the point of impact). The rule is simple: every lightning bolt is accompanied by thunder. If in spite of the flashes of light, clearly visible especially at night, there is silence, it means that we still have a lot of time until the storm arrives. If, however, we observe both phenomena, the following steps should be taken:

• Count the seconds between the lightning and the thunder.
• Multiply the number of seconds by 343 and get the distance of the storm in meters, or divide that result by 1000 and get the distance in kilometers.
• After waiting for a few minutes, count again.
• If a larger number comes out - the storm is moving away, if less - you should be prepared for the arrival of the storm.
• It can be said that the number of seconds below 30 means a distance of no more than 10 km and at the same time the last moment to prepare for the storm.

Driving a car in a thunderstorm

In recent years, there have been more and more violent atmospheric phenomena in our region; storms often come after very hot days. Driving a car in the city and in undeveloped terrain, surrounded by lightning and thunder, is also becoming more and more likely.

The fear of being struck by lightning is the primary fear of a person, also in a car. In fact, hitting a car is extremely rare and is not dangerous for travelers. This does not mean, however, that the storm poses no threat to mechanized road users.

During a traffic storm, bad visibility and hail, strong gusts of wind and a flooded road, falling branches of roadside trees, and blinding by lightning are very dangerous. The statistics for storm victims include pedestrians, tourists, athletes, and workers in the open air; however, there are no people driving cars.

Should the car be struck by lightning, the bodywork will then act as a so-called Faraday cage, which discharges electric charges around the passengers. After a lightning strike, do not touch the metal parts inside the car, connected to the bodywork. With today's widespread use of plastics, this shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Those driving the car will certainly experience a shock, and on top of that, they will probably be blinded. It is also possible to damage the car slightly. During laboratory tests, traces of sunburn were found on the paintwork and tire edges.

You should not choose to park on a slope during a storm. If possible, all antennas must be removed from the bodywork. It is imperative to close the convertible's roof. The open convertible is not, of course, a protective screen in the form of a Faraday cage, but the metal parts of the roof already connect to the rest of the body and protect the occupants. There are no known reports of lightning striking the passengers of a convertible.

Protection against lightning is not provided by a motorhome and caravan made of plastics without a metal frame or mesh. However, there is no problem with this type of vehicle with an aluminum coating. All-metal body parts must be connected to the vehicle frame. In any case, the camper's cabin is safe during a storm.

Camping under a tent during a storm

People in the tent are not sufficiently protected from lightning. If it hits metal support, the electric charge will jump and pierce insulated areas, such as the floor of a tent, and drain to the ground. Voltage funnels may form around the tent supports in the ground, which creates a risk of step voltage. If the human body is better grounded than the adjacent tent support, a lightning charge can flow through it.

• It is best to leave your tent before the storm and seek shelter in a building or in your car. If this is not possible, there are a few rules to follow:
• Do not touch the tent walls and masts, even in violent storms.
• In the center of the tent, as far away from the metal support as possible, squat on your toes as recommended in an open area.
• Under no circumstances should you sit on the bare floor, preferably on a dry mattress, without touching metal elements and the floor.
• All cables (electric, antenna, etc.) should be removed from the tent before the storm.
• Plastic or rubber pads can be removed from the tent supports for better grounding.

The danger to the occupants of the tent does not necessarily result from a lightning strike. Experience shows that the close vicinity of the tent may be more dangerous. Since the morning after the storm in the forest may look like the picture on the right, everyone can judge for themselves the sense of setting up a tent in an old tree stand in summer. Unfortunately, even the organizers of scout camps often lack imagination and knowledge.

What to do when the storm snaps on the water?

Swimming, fishing, or diving are deadly during a storm. Already at the first sign of a change to stormy weather, not to mention following meteorological reports, you should leave the water and the coastal zone. If you are nevertheless surprised by a storm in your boat offshore, crouch on the bottom with your knees together without touching the rigging or other metal parts. You should be aware that boats with masts are particularly vulnerable to lightning.

It is very dangerous to swim, dive or wade in water during a storm. When struck by lightning in the water, people may be electrocuted at a considerable distance from the point of impact. Before the impending storm, you need to get out of the water and look for a safe haven.

Storm in the woods

According to folk superstitions, which sometimes still smolder in human consciousness, during a storm, one should hide under, for example, aspen or beech trees, but not under oaks. The old foresters, however, know theirs: this is not good advice; every tree is struck by lightning! It is not true that some tree species are more likely to be struck by lightning and others less often. However, the effect of this impact may be visible to different degrees on different trees. On pines and oaks, whose thick bark, often with lichen and moss, is soaked with water like a sponge and directs the electric charge of lightning inwards, the damage is particularly pronounced. Rainwater flows down the smooth bark of beeches, poplars, ash, and alders almost unhindered. As a rule, the lightning charge is discharged into the ground without any visible damage, like by a lightning rod. On the other hand, a person looking for shelter under a tree may be electrocuted in any case.

So where did such folk ideas come from? There is a grain of truth in every story. It is very possible that the beeches were indicated because these trees most often grow in groups, while oaks often act as a solitaire in the open space. In a larger group of trees, the probability of lightning hitting a specific tree is, therefore, small - in contrast to a single, large oak tree, which always attracts lightning.

Also, the different structures of the bark could be the basis for the colloquial classification of tree species as less and safer during a storm. On a smooth beech trunk, the electric charge flows more easily to the ground than on a deeply cracked and unevenly moist oak bark. One thing is for sure: lightning strikes the tallest tree in the group. And it can be, for example, a beech towering over a cluster of oaks.

According to foresters who have spent more than one storm in the forest, following a few simple rules can radically reduce the risk of striking lightning.

Not only lightning bolts in the woods are dangerous

As a result of the gusts of wind that accompany every storm, tree branches in the forest break, trunks break, or trees fall over with their roots. The risk of injury from falling branches is incomparably greater than the probability of being struck by lightning. Even a small branch falling from a height of 20-30 m can cause harm. For this reason, be sure to stay away from trees! The most dangerous are old deciduous trees that have a lot of dry branches. Young conifers do not have brittle, heavy branches, but are easily overturned - especially spruces, which naturally form a flat root system. After all, staying in the forest during a storm is very dangerous, especially for people unfamiliar with nature.

If you have not managed to find shelter in a building or a car in time, you need to prepare yourself for a fascinating spectacle called "a storm in the forest". First of all, you should stay calm and use the (usually short) time for some preparations. If the pause between the flash and the thunder is less than 10 seconds, it means that the storm is no more than 10 km from us. Under no circumstances should you hide under tall, single-growing trees. Lightning strikes the highest point, so lonely trees, towering clumps of trees or the edge of a forest are a potential target. From the experience of foresters, it is known that lightning often hits trees at the edge of the forest, on the border of crops and clearings, near lakes and swamps. You have to calmly walk into a clump of young trees surrounded by an old stand (young stand, cultivation) or into a dry hollow in the area - you will surely find such a place within a radius of several dozen meters. You must crouch down comfortably at a distance of at least 10 meters from the nearest tree. Place your feet next to each other (not with your feet apart), place your hands, not on the ground, but put your feet on your knees or over your head. You must never lie down on the ground, because it increases the contact area, or stand apart - then the potential difference, i.e. the so-called step voltage, is dangerous. Place the bicycle, the metal frame of the backpack, and other metal objects at a distance of 10 m from each other and turn off the mobile phone. Under no circumstances should you unfold the umbrella - it will act as a lightning rod, drawing electric charges. Getting wet to the skin and numbness of legs unused to long squatting on their heels - this is a reasonable price for the safest way to spend a storm in the forest in these conditions. Storm in the open field, what to do? It sometimes happens in summer that out of nowhere comes a thundercloud and only fields and meadows all around. If we are on a hiking or biking trip and you cannot see any buildings nearby, there is nothing else to do but prepare for the storm. The old folk wisdom that advises you to lie flat on the ground in a thunderstorm is false - you must never do this! It is much more important to adopt a posture with the smallest possible surface area exposed to the outside. To do this, you have to go to the lower place, choose a slight depression, and crouch - preferably on your toes. Place your feet close together and put your arms around your knees. In the event of hail, you must cover your head with your hands. Umbrella and possibly the bicycle should be parked at least 10 m. This position is not comfortable, but it ensures safety. Of course, it is absolutely impossible to take shelter under a tree growing in the field or near an energy pole. Cyclists must be clearly warned here: the bicycle does not attract lightning, but the metal conducts electricity. Rubber tires are not protected; the bicycle, unlike the car, is not a Faraday cage. Therefore, the following applies: during a storm, you should stay 10 meters or more away from the bicycle. If the bicycle is struck by lightning, the load will spread into the ground and may shock people nearby.