If you are caught in a thunderstorm

The greatest danger during a thunderstorm is lightning strike. To avoid it, you need to know how to behave during bad weather.

During a thunderstorm, do not stay near reinforced concrete structures, bodies of water, or tall objects without lightning rods. Do not touch the trunks of trees or metal structures. In a relatively safe zone, find a dry spot at a distance of 1.5–2 meters from tall objects: trees, power line poles. Do not be near switched-on electrical appliances, wiring, or metal objects, do not touch them with your hands, and do not stand near lightning protection grounding.

What to do if bad weather catches you:

in an apartment, house, building:

First of all, turn off all electrical appliances and unplug the outdoor antenna from the TV, and stop telephone conversations. Then, try to eliminate drafts, close windows and chimneys tightly. Do not stay near windows, stoves, fireplaces, massive metal objects, on the roof, or in the attic.

outdoors:

Leave open spaces and take shelter indoors or in the entrance of any building.

If you decide to hide under a building's canopy, do not touch the wall. Do not use your mobile phone. Do not stand near tall poles, billboards, etc.

in a car:

Stop the car. Close the windows, lower the antenna, turn off the engine, and wait out the thunderstorm inside the car. Do not touch door handles or other metal objects. Do not hold your mobile phone either.

in a forest:

Stay away from tall, solitary trees, and do not stay near a campfire, as a column of hot air is a good conductor of electricity. Most often, lightning strikes oaks, poplars, and elms, and least often – birch and maple trees. Settle between low-growing trees with dense crowns. Additionally, when choosing a shelter, pay attention to whether there are any split trees nearby that have been previously struck by lightning. This indicates that the soil in this area has high electrical conductivity, and a lightning strike here is highly probable again.

in an open area (in a field):

Do not stand on elevated ground, near power line supports, or under wires. Look for a ditch or ravine. If there are no depressions nearby, crouch as low as possible or lie down on the ground. Do not hide in haystacks or straw stacks, in uninhabited single barracks, or sheds. Do not walk barefoot or hold conductive objects (shovels, hoes, scythes) above your head.

At a body of water:

Get out of the water, move away from the shore, and seek shelter. If you are in a boat, row to the shore immediately. If this is not possible, drain the boat; if there is a protective canopy, raise it; if you have dry clothes, change into them; sit as far as possible from the mast and place a life jacket or boots underneath you. Fishing during a thunderstorm must be stopped, as fishing tackle conducts electricity.

First aid for lightning strike:

• quickly assess the victim's condition
• immediately perform resuscitation measures: artificial respiration, closed-chest cardiac massage
• warm the victim
• treat burns and accompanying wounds
• administer Analgin (painkiller)
• urgently transport the victim to the hospital.