'Editorial': Weather Forecast, an Essential Tool for Safety

The two separate deaths believed to be caused by lightning strikes are unfortunate and untimely.

The incidents raise serious concerns. At the top of the list is we are not taking into the consideration the weather forecast by the Fiji Meteorological Service seriously.

Forecasting predicts outcomes over a longer time frame while predictions are short-term and immediate, often, in the near future.

Whatever the case may be in terms of weather, there is a likelihood of it being correct.

And that is where we should take our cue from. We have lost one too many lives to natural disasters, drowning included, that we simply can't ignore the alert or warning signs.

Around the world, there are more than 3,000,000 flashes every day. That's around 44 strikes every second, the UK Met Officer said.

The United States' weather service says lightning kills about 20 people each year in there and hundreds more injured. Some survivors suffer lifelong neurological damage.

While there is no definite figure for Fiji, as it is often seen as a rare cause of fatality, these fatalities could happen anyone of us, nonetheless.

This demonstrates the importance of being weather alert as Fiji Met's acting director, Bipen Prakash highlights: "We are in the wet season. At this time of the year lightning and thunderstorms are very common, especially in the afternoons and evenings.

"So, before going out and planning activities you need to be mindful of the weather forecasts."

While considering the weather, also consider your surroundings:

■ Tall objects such as trees and skyscrapers are more likely than the surrounding ground to produce one of the connecting sparks and so are more likely to be struck by lightning.

■ Mountains also make good targets.

■ However, this does not always mean tall objects will be struck. Flat lands and seas can also be the best spots for these spectacles to occur.

So, when you go out today, please stay safe and take heed of the latest weather forecast from tonight:

Forecast for the Fiji group: Occasional rain, heavy at times, and few thunderstorms over the eastern parts and interior of Viti Levu.

Elsewhere, cloudy periods with some showers and isolated thunderstorms.

Localised heavy falls with flash flooding of low-lying and flood-prone areas are expected.

The outlook for tomorrow: Some showers and isolated thunderstorms.

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