It's never pleasant being out and about in bad weather but you never know when the weather might make a turn for the worse so it's incredibly difficult to plan ahead and avoid being outside the home. You also can't put your life on hold because the forecast said to prepare for stormy weather. But there are ways you can prepare yourself and your family, and stay calm in adverse conditions.
Caught Unawares
Have an action plan for days when the weather turns bad unexpectedly. If you're a parent, let your kids know what to do and what not to do in case of heavy rain, fog and lightning. They may argue it's common sense but it's best to properly talk it over just in case, highlighting the dangers of lightning, high winds and resulting debris.
Rest assured, if they're at school the teachers will take care of them, and won't let them out if they feel it's dangerous.
If the kids are old enough to be out and about on their own, instruct them to seek shelter in shops or cafes, and be in touch via phone to arrange whether you can pick them up or if they can take a taxi or public transport home or to your work.
In these situations it's useful for your child to have some emergency money. Discuss this with them and ensure they realise how important it is not to spend this cash. Even ￡5 should be enough to cover the cost of a hot mug of tea while seeking shelter, and a bus ticket.
Driving
While it's generally not advised to drive in adverse weather conditions, you never know when you could be caught in traffic during a storm. In these situations the worst things you can do are panic, and speed.
Stay calm and consider whether the journey is really necessary. The wisest thing may be to go straight home or to a friend or relative's house if they happen to live nearby.
As visibility is likely to be very poor, the most important thing is to see and be seen. Used dipped headlights, and fog lights if absolutely necessary (when visibility falls below 100 metres). Drive slowly while focusing closely on what's going on both in front of you and behind you.
At Home
It's best to have a few emergency provisions on hand such as plywood and duct tape to secure your windows, and sand bags to stop water seeping into your home. A battery-operated radio and some torches could be very valuable. There's also never any harm in keeping a few tins of canned food in the house. Keep all this on hand in an easily accessible place the whole family is aware of. Instruct your kids not to play with it.
Heavy rain, snow and storms can bring power cuts. In recent years, flooding has also been causing more and more damage to national power grids the world over. In situations where repairs are predicted to last a while, emergency generators can be a lifesaver. You can choose to either purchase one or rent one.
Harvey McEwan writes to offer information on a variety of areas, from when to use emergency generators to festival fashion tips. View Harvey's other articles to find out more.