If you cannot get inside

Lightning can strike 10–15 km from the storm itself. If you can hear thunder, you are already close enough to be hit.

No shelter — last resort

Crouch. Feet together. Wait.

Heels touching, on the balls of your feet, head down.
Do not lie flat. More contact with the ground, not less.
  1. 1
    Get low, get away from tall things
    Off ridges and hilltops. Away from anything tall or standing alone.
  2. 2
    Put down anything long or metal
    Poles, clubs, tools, tripods. Drop the umbrella.
  3. 3
    Crouch — do not lie down
    On the balls of your feet, heels touching, head down, hands over your ears. Lying flat gives ground current more of you to travel through.
  4. 4
    Spread the group out
    About 15 m apart, so a single strike cannot take everyone.
15 m apart — one strike, one casualty at most.
Counts as shelter
  • A building with wiring and plumbing
  • A car with a metal roof, windows up
  • Hands off metal once you are inside
Does not
  • Under a tree — the most common way people die
  • An open shelter, lean-to or bus stop
  • Water, ridges, open ground, umbrellas
  • Scaffolding, cranes, roof work, wet ladders
Indoors, still avoid

Showers, taps, corded phones, and leaning on outside walls. Current travels through plumbing and wiring.

If someone is struck

Call 113. Then start CPR.

  1. 1
    They carry no charge
    It is safe to touch them immediately. Do not hesitate.
  2. 2
    Not breathing normally?
    30 chest compressions, 2 breaths, repeat. Cardiac arrest is what kills; CPR is what saves.
  3. 3
    Move them only if the storm still threatens
    Lightning does strike the same place twice. Get to cover, then continue.
  4. 4
    Everyone goes to hospital
    Even if they walk and talk. Heart-rhythm and hearing damage show up late.

First-aid guidance is a draft and has not been reviewed by a medical professional. In an emergency, call 113 and follow the operator.