Summer Safety

This is a matter that I often write about and once again I will be trying to push the point on thunderstorms and the loss of human life.

We have probably all heard about the young woman who was sadly killed in Queensland a few weeks ago [last week as I am typing this] from a lightning strike and while it is very sad, I fear that it will not be the last one for the season. I will not go into details, but it was a case of, I think, of misreading the approaching storm and being a bit underwhelmed by the seriousness of the weather and potential of being struck. My prayers are with the people who knew and loved her.

It is my greatest worry to see outdoor sports and other activities continuing when there is a storm heading in the direction of people. Sometimes with a lot of lightning and heavy rolls of thunder giving plenty of warning of its approach. To be able to see the rotation in the clouds and the green colour of hail in those clouds is a sure sign of trouble on the way. Yes, it might miss you but, in all reality, who wants to take a chance of becoming a statistic?

The sheer violence of the storms up our way has been breathtaking. On the 1st of November. Grafton was hit by a storm that registered 85 millimetres of rain at the airport in less than one hour. In fact, the heaviest rain [80mm] fell in twenty minutes. At our field, that is only a few kilometres to the north, we had 39 millimetres in the same period. Wind speeds were recorded at 88 kilometres per hour. Cat two cyclone strength.

The worst of the storm went to the east of Grafton, and the official weather station recorded only 1.2 millimetres of rain. Seriously hit and miss.

Please put a workable storm plan in place at your field and stick to it. This is as important as having an evacuation plan. 

It is known that lightning can strike up to twenty, some sources are now saying thirty, kilometres ahead of the actual storm front. Saying that it was not raining at the time actually shows the lack of understanding and misinformation that seems to sit well with many people.

And, if there is thunder, there has to be lightning even if it has been hidden behind heavy clouds and rain. This is more the case in daylight conditions. It amazes me to hear people say that there was only thunder but no lightning. Many people now believe that thunder causes lightning. And that is why many ignore the obvious and serious signs of the approaching storm.

The PGA [pro golf association] has an excellent storm procedure in place and I would urge all clubs to look at this and then modify it to suit your individual needs.

My personal advice would be, if it looks likely that storm is coming, land and seek shelter until it passes. In most parts, the storms blow through quickly. But do not fly until thunder can no longer be heard and the skies are clear.

Take advice of the local weather guru in your club. There is always one who has a very strong understanding of storms and their movements in your local area. 

And finally, listen to that advice, every time, all the time.

Regards and respect
Daryl Woolfe
ANSW Safety Officer