Spring storms bring reminder of lightning’s power

Saskatchewan has seen some wild weather this spring, with the latest being Thursday’s storm in the southeast part of the province.

With storm season in full swing, Environment Canada is reminding people to take precautions.

This week is Lightning Safety Week across Canada.

Environment Canada meteorologist Terri Lang said lightning is Canada’s number one weather-related cause of deaths and injuries during the summer.

“People think its tornadoes, (but) it’s actually lightning,” she said.

Lang encouraged people to be careful, even if a storm system seems to be small.

“Lightning is potentially very, very dangerous. The rule of thumb there is ‘when thunder roars, go indoors,’  which means if you can see lightning or hear thunder, it’s time to take shelter, not when the rain hits,” she explained.

Lightning can sometimes precede a thunderstorm and can also stick around for a bit afterwards.

“You (should) stay indoors for 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder because the studies have shown most people are killed and injured from lightning before the storm hits and after it’s actually over,” Lang said.

She said staying indoors means in a car or a solid building, not a flimsier structure like a gazebo.