Get ready for the first really humid air of the season…set to arrive tomorrow and stick around for several days in a row. The dew point, or measure of the amount of moisture in the air, will reach near 70 degrees, which is a soupy, tropical feeling.
Air like this also makes it very easy to trigger showers and thunder, which is why the chance of rain is so high on each day into next week. With a daily threat for storms, now is the perfect time to review thunderstorm safety – and coincidentally, this is National Lightning Safety Awareness Week.
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The safest place to be during a thunderstorm is inside. Often times I hear from kids say – “I’ll go right to my basement!”. While your basement is certainly a fine place to be during a thunderstorm, you don’t have to go there. Anywhere inside is safe. Basements are the preferred location during tornado warnings.
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Other folks have asked before “What if I hear lightning but it’s not raining at all yet? Do I still need to go inside?” The simple answer: yes. Lightning can sometimes strike 10 miles or more away from a thunderstorm.
With lots of outdoor activities ranging from walking your dog to swimming to sporting events, weddings and everything in between – the most important rule to remember is: “When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors.” If you can’t get inside a building, a car, with the windows up, is safe. And it’s not because of the rubber tires! Cars act similar to a cage: if lightning were to strike your car, it goes through the metal frame and into the ground. That’s why motorcycles, convertibles and open framed vehicles like ATV’s, bikes etc. are NOT a safe spot to be.
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Click here for more information on thunderstorm and lightning safety.
And be sure to stay tuned to the NBC 10 Boston weather team for updates on our daily thunderstorm risk in the days ahead.
