What to do in the Carpathian Mountains during a thunderstorm

thunder carpathians  02.03.2017 What to do in the Carpathian Mountains during a thunderstorm
What to do in the Carpathian Mountains during a thunderstorm

Some years ago a thunderstorm in the Carpathian region took place in January. Therefore, we can forecast that the time corridor of the thunderstorm period is significantly expanded.

Thunderstorms are of frequent occurrence in the Carpathians, and unlike lowland storms, they are much more aggressive and can have more devastating and far more tragic consequences. Taking into account the fact of the climate change – the chance to be caught by a storm is quite high.

Why are the thunderstorms in the mountains more dangerous

Why are the thunderstorms in the mountains more dangerous than in the plains? The answer is obvious: if a thunder and a lightning are the greatest danger in the plains, a storm in the mountainous areas can cause a rash devastating flood or mud flow. Both are dangerous for tourists.

What to do and how to behave during a storm in the carpathians?

1. Plan your walk and trip time properly. According to statistics, most of thunderstorms in the mountains fall on summer afternoons. So if you are a passive holidaymaker, try to make your short trips into the mountains in the morning.
2. That concerns the passive tourists. If during a thunderstorm you are in a cottage or in a country seat, you should not chill out. First, close all doors and windows, especially small windows. No draughts should be in the room. Also disconnect (unplug) all appliances because they, like draught, attract a fireball. Also try to stay away from the electrical appliances.
3. If a storm caught you during the walk in the mountains, look for a place to wait out the storm. In no case hide from the storm on a rise, it is better to find a clump of scrub trees and to wait out the storm over there.
4. When looking for a shelter against the storm, pay attention to the tree condition. If a tree has signs of destruction by fire, such place is dangerous, because a lightning hit this tree and probably several times. It has been already proved that a lightning hits oak, poplar, pine and spruce. And the last grow in the Carpathians enough. Willows, maples and shrubs are less vulnerable to lightnings.
5. When choosing the shelter, avoid shores of mountain rivers, especially of mountain streams. The latter, according to EM, are extremely dangerous during the rains. The streams do not have reserves for overflow water, so in a few minutes they can turn into a deadly stream, washing away everything and everyone in its path. And this suddenness often leaves no chance for victims to react.
6. Now let us speak about a situation when the storm caught you on a mountain meadow or in open areas, and you are far from any tree. What should you do in this situation? Do not forget that you should avoid separately standing trees, because they are the perfect attraction for a lightning. In this case, look for some kinds of depression, hole or hollow. When there is a choice, we recommend you to choose the dry hollows, because wet earth more often gets fire gifts from Zeus. But it is too difficult to find a dry hollow in the open area, so when hiding in the wet hollow, in any case lie there in full length. This is necessary in order to minimize your contact with the surface, which serves as a conductor.
7. Someone hikes through the mountains, and someone travels with a helmet on his head and by bike or quad bike. So, if you are caught in the storm when going by these vehicles, the first thing is to stop immediately. Then read tips from first to sixth.

General safety rules

And there are a few concluding words about the features of the lightning’s. Today science knows that a lightning is an electromagnetic phenomenon of great strength and power, so its behavior is often dictated by the physical characteristics.

Searching the shortest path to the closing of the electrical circuit explains the attraction of the lightning to subjects allocated over the total surface, and this explains the attraction to the electric and magnetic-emitting devices. From here there are a few general rules that are important not only in the mountains but wherever there are thunderstorms.
• do not swim during a storm
• do not speak on cell phones during a storm

• while driving in a car during a storm take off all protruding decorative elements, especially a radio antenna.
If you meet these requirements, a mountain summer thunderstorm will not put you to troubles, and will cause interesting memories, impressions, and possibly of a new romantic relationship.
Because what appears after rain? That’s true! Rainbow!