Xiamen is a lightning-prone area. Last week, two unfortunate incidents happened in the countryside outside the island. How to avoid danger when encountering lightning? What are the misunderstandings of lightning protection in citizens'ideas? Yang Chao, an expert of Xiamen lightning protection center, was invited by Morning Post to answer for you.

[misunderstanding 1]

Turn off the electrical appliances to prevent lightning strikes?

Truth: It's better to unplug the electrical plug

Can you use WIFI, mobile phones and household appliances when thundering? Yang Chao introduced that it is best not to use wired or wireless electronic and electrical facilities when thundering. Because when lightning strikes, electromagnetic pulse magnetic field will be generated in a certain space, which will interfere with the electrical facilities.

There is still controversy in academia about whether mobile phones can be used when thunder strikes. Yang Chao suggests that for safety reasons, it is better not to use mobile phones for the time being. When strong thunder and lightning occurs, it is also better to turn off all indoor electromagnetic equipment, including household appliances. At the same time, shutdown is not enough. If the plug is still plugged in the socket, it can still form a physical path, or there is a risk of lightning attack. The correct way is to unplug the electrical plug.

Thunderstorm weather should be closed doors and windows to prevent spherical thunder into the indoor hazards. It is better for the human body to leave the radiator, the tap pipe and the sewer pipe for more than 1.5 meters, and avoid the power lines, telephone lines and broadcasting lines as far as possible in order to prevent the secondary discharge of these lines and equipment to the human body.

[misunderstanding two]

Should we use wooden handle umbrella in thunderstorm?

Truth: No umbrella is lightning-proof

Some people asked, is the umbrella with metal handle easier to conduct electricity than that with wooden handle? Should the umbrella with wooden handle be used in thunderstorms?

Yang Chao said that no umbrella can prevent thunder. The key to avoiding lightning outdoors is not to put yourself in a higher position than other objects. Yang Chao introduced that statistics in recent years show that most of the lightning casualties in Xiamen occur in rural areas. This is because some villagers are not aware of lightning protection and remain outdoors in thunderstorm days, resulting in lightning strikes.

In fact, if you encounter lightning outdoors, don't stay at the top of a mountain, ridge or building; don't stay near iron fences, metal clotheslines, overhead metal bodies and railway tracks; don't stay under swimming pools, lakes, seashores or isolated trees. We should try our best to find buildings that have taken lightning protection measures. If there are no buildings around, you should squat down in a lower position, with your feet together, your head as low as possible, and your back as level as possible. If someone is struck by lightning and stops breathing, they should be given artificial breathing and external cardiac massage in time and sent to medical treatment quickly.