The Civil Protection Section of the Puglia Region has issued, with a message dated 2 May 2024, the yellow weather alert status for the central Adriatic Puglia sector, which includes Bisceglie, from 8am on May 3rd and for the following 12 hours. Isolated to scattered precipitation is expected, including showers or thunderstorms, with cumulative quantities up to moderate.
It is recommended to observe the good behavioral rules indicated by the Civil Protection.
WHAT TO DO IN THE EVENT OF A STORM:
Associated with thunderstorms, lightning represents one of the most fearful dangers. The majority of accidents caused by lightning occur outdoors: the mountain is the place most at risk, but so are all large and exposed places, such as a meadow or a football field, especially in the presence of water, such as the sea, beaches, piers, piers, outdoor swimming pools. In reality, there is a residual risk associated with lightning even indoors.
Outdoors
- No place is safe outdoors, so the first thing to do is to quickly get to an indoor place and wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder before resuming outdoor activities. In the absence of a building, seek shelter inside the car with the doors and windows closed and with the radio antenna possibly lowered.
- The preferred targets are those that are tall (trees, poles, pylons) or in any case protruding from a lower surrounding environment (even a single person in a large, flat place, such as a meadow or a beach), and those with a pointed shape (umbrella , fishing rod, etc.).
- If you are forced to remain outdoors and cannot quickly reach safe shelter, move away from points that protrude significantly, such as poles or trees, and do not seek shelter there, especially if they are isolated and higher than the surrounding vegetation. In your turn, try not to constitute the highest presence in the place that surrounds you.
- Metal does not attract lightning, so it is not dangerous to wear or hold small metal objects (watch, keys, necklaces, earrings, etc.). However, metal is a good conductor of electricity: it is therefore important to stay away from particularly large metal objects (nets or fences, railings, steps or stands, ropes or ladders, etc.). If a structure like these is struck by lightning, the metal can conduct current to the person standing in contact with it or in the immediate vicinity. For the same reason, it is advisable to stay away from water (moving away from the shore of the sea or a lake) if a storm is raging nearby.
In home
The risk of lightning is greatly reduced, however follow some simple rules during a storm, keeping in mind that a building is a safe place, as long as you do not come into contact with anything that can conduct electricity:
- avoid using equipment connected to the electricity grid and landline telephone. If you need to communicate, you can use your cell phone or cordless phone. Keep electrically powered appliances turned off (even better by unplugging them), especially televisions, computers and household appliances;
- do not touch metal elements connected to the outside, such as ducts, cables, pipes and electrical systems;
- avoid contact with water (postpone operations such as washing the dishes or taking a shower until the end of the storm; in most cases you just need to be patient for an hour or two);
- do not stay under canopies, balconies, sheds, pavilions, gazebos and verandas which are not safe places. Instead, take shelter inside the building, keeping your distance from doors and windows, making sure they are closed.
WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF RAIN AND HAIL:
In an urban environment
The most typical critical issues are linked to the inability of the sewerage network to dispose of considerable quantities of water which fall to the ground in a short time with consequent sudden flooding of roads. Because of this:
- be careful when passing underpasses and underpasses, there is the risk of finding the vehicle semi-submerged or submerged in water;
- Avoid going or staying in environments such as basements, lower floors, garages, which are at high risk of flooding during intense downpours of rain.
- And in particular if you are driving:
- even in the absence of flooding, asphalt suddenly made slippery by rain represents an insidious danger for those driving vehicles or motorbikes, reducing both road holding and the efficiency of the braking system;
- limit your speed or make a stop, waiting for the most intense phase of the storm, which rarely lasts more than half an hour, to abate. It is enough to be patient briefly in a rest area. During the most intense phase of a shower, visibility is greatly reduced.
In the event of hail, the traffic warnings already seen for rain showers apply, regarding the consequences on the slippery state of the road surface and the strong reductions in visibility. The duration of a hailstorm is typically quite short.
