What you should never do if you find yourself in a storm, indoors or out

We have been suffering from summer heat all week, and now storm clouds are looming on the horizon. Forecasters promise a powerful magnetic storm in Moscow and St. Petersburg, which will affect health and technology. During the day in the capital, the temperature will drop from +30 degrees to +16. Thunderstorms, lightning, heavy rain and even hail await us. We remind you how to protect yourself during storms, tornadoes and thunderstorms.

If a storm occurs in an open area

Not everyone has the opportunity to leave work and other activities and stay at home during bad weather. If a storm finds you outside, you need to know a few rules. Of course, most Russians do not live in natural disaster zones like Japan. But even in flat areas, serious disasters that threaten life and health can occur.

So the first step is to find “shelter.” Since a tornado throws up a lot of debris, it’s important to protect your head by covering it with a bag, book, or any relatively sturdy object. You should also stay away from power lines, tall fences, billboards, and trees. If possible, it’s best to avoid routes that cross bridges or houses with slate roofs.

If you are traveling to another country where hurricanes are quite strong and cause natural disasters, you should take other precautions in addition to the above. When going to a shelter or the basement of the nearest building, it will be difficult to protect yourself from a strong hurricane, so it is better to quickly lie down at the bottom of a roadside ditch, trench or any depression in the ground, covering your head. Stay away from buildings to avoid injuries from broken glass. And yes, in no case do not get into the car; if the car overturns, you may find yourself trapped.

Even in large Russian cities, thunderstorms and lightning are also very dangerous. Although the nature of lightning is not yet fully understood, it is known that it can be attracted to metal products, for example. Therefore, lightning and thunderstorms It is not possible in any case:

– Hide under trees;

— Walk near power lines and iron structures (for example, transformer boxes and fences);

– Use an umbrella;

– Touch something wet;

– Wear metal jewelry;

— Keep your mobile phone on;

— Be in the water or near bridges (as they conduct current well);

— Stand near the fire (smoke is a good conductor of electricity);

— Stay in the car (you need to go outside, close the windows and wait on the side of the road) or park the car near trees and billboards;

– Use a bicycle;

— Near flammable materials (e.g. near chemical plants).

If a storm hits you at home

If you are at home, also during storms, thunderstorms and lightning It is important to take several important steps:

— Turn off all electrical appliances and equipment;

— Close your eyes and doors as air flow is a good conductor of electricity;

– If you are in a kennel, lock all pets in the barn or stable, lock the windows and doors;

— Do not stand in front of an open window or hold metal objects in your hands;

– Stand in the middle of the room – this is the safest place;

— Remove items from the window sill so that they will not cause injury if they fall.

In addition to safety rules, it is also important to consider how the body will react to changing weather conditions. The truth is that the worst thing for human health is not abnormal heat or cold, but sudden temperature changes that can cause both increased blood pressure and hypertension. In addition, the risk of angina is high in heart patients. Due to spasm in the blood vessels, headaches, a feeling of pressure in the chest and stabbing pain in the heart occur. Therefore, it is necessary to take treatment measures in advance and take medications.

Let’s add that this time the magnetic storm will be quite strong, namely G3 on a five-point scale. Even those without serious health problems will feel tired, sleepy, heavy breathing and irritability. Due to changes in the Earth’s magnetic field, people’s biological rhythms will be disrupted, serious disruptions in the functioning of satellite systems, radio and electrical networks are expected.