Do you know to get out of the water if there's lighting around?

[MaggieFS]

I'm currently on holiday and we're having frequent thunderstorms. There's one now and most people have left the pool but one family of two adults and two 5ish year old children and still swimming and have just cheered at an almighty grumble from the Gods.

It's a private apartment block so no lifeguards. I grew up in a hot country so it's ingrained to get out of the water but it's just set me wondering if people brought up in the UK who have less chance to swim outside and less frequent thunderstorms really know this?

Unplug your routers during a thunderstorm too. You don’t want 1.21gW coming in down the phone line.

@EmbarrassingMama

Isn't there a life guard or attendant about who can tell them if you're on holiday?

It says in the OP “private apartment block so no lifeguards”

I would go and tell them if it was me.

Absolutely!

The best bit for me about a holiday somewhere in the med is getting inside for a storm and watching it from the balcony over the sea with a hot drink!

Then after it's gone going for a walk in the cooler air and the post storm smell of rain!

I should also add I knew it from a young age as live on the coast and also spent many years living abroad (med and canaries) but also in the Alps and the same applied there with the snow!

Thanks for posting this reminder. I had thought the risk of attracting lightning was very low because there would be no high points to attract it, like being in a field away from trees and buildings.

Yes. I don't remember when or how I learned this but I do remember getting out of a lake when we heard thunder during a holiday to Austria when I was 11 or 12.

This regularly comes up in our neighborhood (in US) as we have a shared pool and there have been a few occasions where teens have kept swimming during large thunderstorms.

Yes, I knew that. Isn’t it common sense?

Did you warn the other swimmers before you crept off onto Mumsnet?

Yes, I know to leave the water

I didnt know

I don't understand why you have to leave the water...

What's electric in water? Fair enough if it's a giant complex pool etc, with heaters inside etc. But how about just a normal pool with no electrics?

@notinyoday

I don't understand why you have to leave the water...

What's electric in water? Fair enough if it's a giant complex pool etc, with heaters inside etc. But how about just a normal pool with no electrics?

"Swimming during a thunderstorm is one of the most dangerous things you can do. Lightning regularly strikes water, and since water conducts electricity, a nearby lightning strike could kill or injure you. Any time you hear thunder, or see lightning, you should get out of the water and into a safe place."

Oh

Does that include being inside, in the bath?

Since someone on this thread mentioned unplugging the phones

@notinyoday

Oh

Does that include being inside, in the bath?

Since someone on this thread mentioned unplugging the phones

Yes. Lightening can travel through pipes as they conduct electricity as well.

Yes I've always known since childhood to immediately get out of water when thunder starts as it's usually followed shortly by lightning. Same with not running a stainless steel tap as my grandparents knew of someone who was struck when lightning hit the tap / running water through an open window, always leave a golf course as it's such an open space, don't use an umbrella as the metal will draw the lightning towards you and never stand beside or stoke a large open fire during lightening as it can and does come down the chimney and has struck many people in this way... hope that helps someone

I learnt on a beach lifeguard course, what I also learnt but hasn't been mentioned here is that sand conducts electricity at something like 10,000 times greater than water so getting out the sea and waiting on the beach is one of the worst things you can do in a thunderstorm...

@SirSamuelVimes

Surely that's the very definition of lack of common sense?! If you know what lightning is, and know that water conducts electricity (or just that water and electricity don't mix, which my DD knew from five at least) the ability to put two and two together is basic common sense, isn't it??

No. I see lightning as a type of fire that I would expect to be extinguished in water. Yes, I do know it's electricity, but I've never actually looked into what happens when lightning touches water, never been warned against it and never been to the beach in a storm. At school we were told to curl into a ball if we were out in a field and to avoid being under trees. I've heard other things, like stay away from appliances, but I don't do those to be honest.

I'm reasonably intelligent and curious about things I don't know but I absolutely did not think about this at all. Thank you for educating me

I would go and tell them immediately. No way would I sit and watch two little kids in potential danger.

I did not know this until being holiday and being ushered out of the pool by lifeguards.

It's a massive deal in Florida, with theme park rides (not just water rides) being closed if a storm is nearby.

The irony is OP that you're informing a lot of us clueless foke online (me included), but the ones in actual danger right now are still blissfully unaware, in front of you?

Whilst it's common sense it genuinely never occured to me because we (my husband, children and I) don't swim outdoors at all honestly not at all

I shall add it to the list of lectures I give to my nephews though who are often found messing around in their local river!

Sorry, I'm back. It's been one hell of an evening for other reasons. I'm ashamed to say I didn't say anything. I felt sometimes people poking their nose in isn't welcome. But I did keep track of the rumbles and felt the storm was moving away. Had it got definitely closer of lighting been visible I would have said something.

Ironically, the reason it's been such an horrible evening is because I've tried to offer help elsewhere and have the living daylights scared out of me. Basically a bloke pulled up outside the block of flats to find someone blocking his space so decided the way to find out whose car it was was to sit with his hand on the horn. This was about 7pm just as my DC had gone to sleep. Various people came out asking him to be quiet. My door happened to be nearest so I said 'please stop, my children are asleep'. He replied aggressively in a language I didn't recognise and went back to beeping. More people gesticulated and next time he stopped I said 'can I help you?', and also tried in the local language. He said 'you English?' And then launched in a rant, mostly in his own language but I picked up 'Fuck You', 'Fuck Off' and 'Brexit'. I don't know what he was really saying, but he was shouting, gesticulating and stepping towards me. This went in for a while and the next time he turned to someone else I walked away. But I'm still shaking. He was also punching the car in his space. It was so irrationally aggressive, I'm scared what he might do next. He then crashed and banged in the corridor all while shouting loudly. Turns out he's staying in the apartment two doors down from us. I just want to gather my children and give up on this holiday. DH has been lovely. He was inside with by now awake DC earlier when I popped out to see what the noise so not like he was avoiding it. Even if it's not what he truly thinks, DH is saying it was probably just the end of a bad day and the space being blocked was the final straw plus it wasn't personal at me but it was so over the top. I'm imagining he's going to come and gas our flat or something equally terrible - I'm normally quite logical but I'm very shaken up. Anyway, he ranted out a bit later but has come back quietly so I'm desperately hoping that's it. My nerves are shot though. The slightest noise outside - of which there are lots - I think he's coming for us. It's horrible. But reading this back, DH thinking is plausible. It's been good to write it down. And actually he's out again crashing around right now but I'm a bit calmer, if only because he seems to be trying to track down the car owner.

Anyway, sorry for derailing my own thread. Just goes to show what can happen if you offer unwanted help though. Once my heart rates calms I'll try and sleep it off.

Well that calm didn't last. He's slamming the entrance door repeatedly and absolutely yelling. But he's walked past our door and not bothered us yet so hopefully we'll be ok. There's a hotel next door and their guests won't like it. I really wish someone would call the police but I wouldn't even know if he's doing anything technically offensive. Ducking terrifying though. He's so angry sounding. I've already been for a nervous wee.

Talking to myself now, but I can't sleep. It's gone quiet again. DH is certain we're perfectly safe and our issue will be tiredness tomorrow if he carries on through the night. DC have mercifully stayed asleep so far, so tomorrow morning will probably be them full of beans as normal and ruined before the day has even begun.
Perhaps I need to go and find one of those 'who's awake' threads.

P.S. so sorry if you've actually read my last three posts expecting something about lightning. Just feeling quite unsettled at the moment.