PEA warns of electrical risks during thunderstorm

[webfact]

PEA warns of electrical risks during thunderstorm

BANGKOK, 25 April 2016 (NNT) - The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) has warned people who live in rain storm risk-areas to keep abreast of weather conditions and frequently check that electrical appliances are working.

The PEA issued the warning on Sunday following strong winds and rain storms during this period in many provinces. Such weather conditions may result in electrical accidents such as electrical malfunction or damaged high voltage power cables. These may lead to a major power outage and pose danger to lives and properties.

The PEA also suggested that tall buildings should install lightning rods and warned against the use of all electrical appliances during a thunderstorm. The public should not attempt to cut the trees near power lines by themselves.

-- NNT 2016-04-25

[jerojero]

Thunderstorms have happening for thousands of years, and owner the patronizing government feels compelled to warn the good citizens of Thailand about this natural phenomenon.

[selftaopath]

Strange... all the years I spent growing up/living in The West, I never recall any problems - generally speaking - during thunderstorms.

Here in Thailand - maybe it's just our village - at the first glimmer of rain, wind, or a genuine storm the electric goes out. Ahhhhh the joy of backwoods camping. :-) Oh sorry I mean living.

[Ricardo]

" The PEA also suggested that tall buildings should install lightning rods "

One might have thought that this was already enshrined in Thai building-codes, are they saying that it isn't ?

[chiang mai]

Thunderstorms have happening for thousands of years, and owner the patronizing government feels compelled to warn the good citizens of Thailand about this natural phenomenon.

Any excuse to bash eh!

Here, did you know these things, rest assured the majority of locals don't. http://www.wikihow.com/Protect-Yourself-From-Lightning-When-Indoors

Edited April 24, 2016 by chiang mai

[selftaopath]

" The PEA also suggested that tall buildings should install lightning rods "

One might have thought that this was already enshrined in Thai building-codes, are they saying that it isn't ?

Ahhhhhhhhhhh Ricardo thanks for the laugh. Do you really think the PEA knows? lol lol

[chiang mai]

" The PEA also suggested that tall buildings should install lightning rods "

One might have thought that this was already enshrined in Thai building-codes, are they saying that it isn't ?

I think that's part of the problem, many think the infrastructure is well constructed and will offer some protection, it isn't and it doesn't.

[Ricardo]

"These nasty foreign thunderstorms, sneaking across the borders, and zapping our Thai sky-scrappers, they ought to be grounded !"

[Mosha]

Getting ready to dash out to get in the truck in a storm. My wife grabs my arm. "Wait!" It thunders, and, "OK, you can go now." I've given up trying to explain. There again I know of folks back in UK who are scared to be in a car in a storm.

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[zyphodb]

The only guarantee when a thunderstorm happens here is that we have a power cut that can last anything up to 5 hours, TIT

[Oziex1]

Anyone know any Thais that wont touch their mobile phone during a storm.

[ThaiKneeTim]

If lightning strikes overhead power cables you could get a little more than 230 volts through your appliances, and it won't do them much good!

Standard advice in the UK was to unplug appliances during a thunderstorm, and unless you have a lightning arrester fitting in your antenna line you should disconnect the line from your TV and radio.

You can ignore the PEA advice of course, because you are farang, and far smarter than any Thai.

[MiKT]

" The PEA also suggested that tall buildings should install lightning rods "

One might have thought that this was already enshrined in Thai building-codes, are they saying that it isn't ?

Well, it is in the building codes, but as to whether they are actually installed is anybody's guess.

[ThaiKneeTim]

Anyone know any Thais that wont touch their mobile phone during a storm.

A sensible move, for much the same reason why you're not allowed to use a mobile phone on a fuel station forecourt.

Electricity is very lazy, it looks for the easiest way to earth (Route of least resistance.), so if you offer it an easy route it will take it, even if it has to pass through you!

[MiKT]

Strange... all the years I spent growing up/living in The West, I never recall any problems - generally speaking - during thunderstorms.

Here in Thailand - maybe it's just our village - at the first glimmer of rain, wind, or a genuine storm the electric goes out. Ahhhhh the joy of backwoods camping. :-) Oh sorry I mean living.

http://www.vaisala.com/Vaisala%20Documents/Scientific%20papers/Annual_rates_of_lightning_fatalities_by_country.pdf

In this paper Holle and López (2003) made an assessment of the worldwide impact of lightning, and concluded that 24,000 deaths and 240,000 injuries occur per year.

Unfortunately the Thailand figures are not quoted in this study, but I know that there are a lot of deaths from lightning in Thailand.

The number of thunderstorms per year in any location round the world is recorded and the lightning strike potential measured by the KERAUNIC LEVEL. -

The keraunic level is defined as the average annual number of thunderstorm days for any given locality.

GROUND FLASH DENSITY

Ground Flash Density (GFD) is defined as the average number of strokes per unit area per unit time at a particular location and it is usually assumed that the GFD to earth is roughly proportional to the Keraunic level at the locality.

For Bangkok the average number of thunderstorm days per year (Keraunic level) is around 87 so it can be estimated that the GFD in the Bangkok area is approximately 10.44 ground flashes per square kilometre, indicating that Bangkok is in the second highest lightning strike risk category in the world.

Years ago in the UK I witnessed a huge hole blown in the tiled roof of a house because they had the TV on and an aerial in the loft and not so long ago in Penang I saw the results of a lightning strike that killed a car driver because the badly constructed lightning protection for a high rise building fell on the car and completely buried it. In Pattaya 17 years ago my house was the only one in the road not damaged by a lightning strike on the power lines because I had installed proper Earthing and MCB's and RCBO's. Now they are more common in Thailand.

Actually the Thai Electrical Code is not bad as far as it goes. It certainly covers the lightning protection requirements for the average home dwelling. You just need to make sure that it is actually adhered to for your home, as the average Thai "Electrician" 555 is 555.

Don't mess around in thunderstorms and don't touch anything electric during thunderstorms, Turn-off TV's and computers if the storm is very close and especially do not use a land-line telephone or a mobile phone that is plugged into a charger during a storm.

NB you are much safer in a car during a thunderstorm because the rubber tyres insulate it from the road.

Current "informed" advise if you are caught out in the open, is to crouch-down and keep your feet flat on the ground; do not lie down.

Do not let your children try this at home!

[dddave]

I once had the internals of about $10,000 worth of office equipment fried when lightning struck a utility pole next to our building. Though there were surge suppressors in place for the power outlets, non of the incoming telephone or cable lines were protected and that is how the massive electrical spike from the strike entered the system.

I was fortunate that insurance covered most of the replacement costs but I learned a lesson about how vulnerable the internal circuitry of modern office machines can be and how sneaky a power surge can be getting inside your gear.

[ronwparker]

We had a power cut in Chiangmai last week folowing such a storm

[cloudhopper]

Anyone know any Thais that wont touch their mobile phone during a storm.

A sensible move, for much the same reason why you're not allowed to use a mobile phone on a fuel station forecourt.

lol And that reason would be what exactly?

[NCC1701A]

There is not a proper ground connection in this whole country.

if it only takes two wires to make something work, why use three? what is it for anyway?

my Thai girlfriend is terrified of thunder storms because as a kid she saw a few people killed in her village by lightning.

Edited April 25, 2016 by NCC1701A

[ThaiKneeTim]

Anyone know any Thais that wont touch their mobile phone during a storm.

A sensible move, for much the same reason why you're not allowed to use a mobile phone on a fuel station forecourt.

lol And that reason would be what exactly?

Because a mobile phone is a radio transmitter, it's banging out radio static energy. ENERGY!!!

A spark can be generated by the energy transmitter from a radio transmission in the right circumstances.

I have yet to see a mobile phone certified 'intrinsically safe' which is why they are banned from petrochemical installations and explosives storage facilities.

With regard to the lightning situation, if you are emitting a field of radio static energy it is just a stepping stone for natures own static electrical field.

[gandalf12]

Strange... all the years I spent growing up/living in The West, I never recall any problems - generally speaking - during thunderstorms.

Here in Thailand - maybe it's just our village - at the first glimmer of rain, wind, or a genuine storm the electric goes out. Ahhhhh the joy of backwoods camping. :-) Oh sorry I mean living.

That is because we use a Ring system in the West. So if one power station is out the load is fed from the remaining plants around the country. From what I have seen Thailand has a form of ring system but nothing takes over when one piece of the system is offline.

[cloudhopper]

With regard to the lightning situation, if you are emitting a field of radio static energy it is just a stepping stone for natures own static electrical field.

Did you learn that in school here Tim?

[Mosha]

A couple of years ago, I was looking out of the back door. A lightning strike crackled across the sky towards the river. It hit a boat. That boat was chained to a tree. Some Thais were sat under it drinking. 1 dead and a friend of ours lost all the hair due to burns.

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[manfredtillmann]

we lost our tv and the cable tv modem in a thunderstorm last week. lightning must have either hit the house or somewhere close. loud! very loud!

an approx. 1.5m dia orange sphere formed in the lounge room in front of the tv, only lasted for a second or less. we stood almost next to it. no physical sensations such as raised hair or so. the girl and the kids were pretty upset after, i suspect the kids more so because the tv was busted.

i bought a surge protector board after (and a new tv and the box got changed yesterday by the very efficient and punctual TRUE people) but seeing that there is no earth wiring in the house i suspect the board won't work.

so it's: disconnect everything next time i hear thunder.

[Varangkul]

"in Penang I saw the results of a lightning strike that killed a car driver because the badly constructed lightning protection for a high rise building fell on the car and completely buried it. "

and ....

"NB you are much safer in a car during a thunderstorm because the rubber tyres insulate it from the road."

Faraday's law is no protector!

[manfredtillmann]

"in Penang I saw the results of a lightning strike that killed a car driver because the badly constructed lightning protection for a high rise building fell on the car and completely buried it. "

and ....

"NB you are much safer in a car during a thunderstorm because the rubber tyres insulate it from the road."

Faraday's law is no protector!

Sorry,mate, but you got that wrong. The few inches of rubber do f.a. in the way of protection when it comes to a few million volts of lightning. Faraday is it. Don't try to re-write the laws of physics.

[gandalf12]

"in Penang I saw the results of a lightning strike that killed a car driver because the badly constructed lightning protection for a high rise building fell on the car and completely buried it. "

and ....

"NB you are much safer in a car during a thunderstorm because the rubber tyres insulate it from the road."

Faraday's law is no protector!

Sorry,mate, but you got that wrong. The few inches of rubber do f.a. in the way of protection when it comes to a few million volts of lightning. Faraday is it. Don't try to re-write the laws of physics.

Actually he is correct. The frame of the car will be at the same potential which may well be extremely high. The problem comes if you try exiting the vehicle without the electricity being discharged to earth

[manfredtillmann]

No, the current will discharge into the ground as a gap of 150mm is insufficient to isolate you from a million volts or more.

This is common knowledge. Can someone with the right educational background please put an end to this?

[Mosha]

No, the current will discharge into the ground as a gap of 150mm is insufficient to isolate you from a million volts or more.

This is common knowledge. Can someone with the right educational background please put an end to this?

Skin effect, it's why you are safe in a cage if you don't touch the bars.

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[selftaopath]

Strange... all the years I spent growing up/living in The West, I never recall any problems - generally speaking - during thunderstorms.

Here in Thailand - maybe it's just our village - at the first glimmer of rain, wind, or a genuine storm the electric goes out. Ahhhhh the joy of backwoods camping. :-) Oh sorry I mean living.

That is because we use a Ring system in the West. So if one power station is out the load is fed from the remaining plants around the country. From what I have seen Thailand has a form of ring system but nothing takes over when one piece of the system is offline.

Only moments after reading your post, our elect. went out. It was out for a/b 3.5 hrs. Maybe the cause was a few distant rumblings... no big deal. Except in temps. 30+ it's not enjoyable ESPECIALLY w/out fans etc.

Wonder if the heat will kill some folks when the elect. goes out and remains out for prolonged periods of time?