Météo-France don put five departments for Aquitaine, including Gironde and Lot-et-Garonne, for yellow alert for thunderstorm for this Friday evening, 10 July. The weather body talk say the storms go be very localised, but wind gust fit reach 80 km/h and heavy rain fit fall for some places.
“Thunderstorm go come tonight”. For Friday, 10 July, e no possible for people wey dey Gironde or Lot-et-Garonne not to hear this statement at least once. According to Météo-France forecast, dem place five Aquitaine departments for yellow vigilance, “because of a very uneven situation with isolated events”. The storm risk, from low to moderate, go only affect very localized areas.
This weather change, wey some people dey expect, come straight from Spain and the Pyrenees. These stormy showers go move up from the eastern part of Pyrénées-Atlantiques before reaching Lot-et-Garonne, then Gironde and Dordogne. “These are very localised phenomena,” Météo-France stress. “The more you go north and the later at night, the less intense dem go be.”
For Gironde, the first storms expected from 7pm and fit last until 11pm. “E be isolated stormy showers wey fit cause heavy rainfall,” Météo-France explain. Wind gusts up to 80 km/h fit also blow for some areas, especially for Lot-et-Garonne and south Gironde. Hail risk nearly zero. “E fit get very local light hail episodes,” Météo-France note. The episode go then move northward.
Every heatwave must eventually pay price, and this one suppose end with storms, expected for second part of next week as cooler air arrive. But summer storm no just dey threaten hair wey stand up: one single power surge fit fry your internet box, TV, and appliances. Here be the actions wey protect, and those wey useless.
Forecasters agree: extreme heat go hold until at least July 14, then weather go turn stormy as pressure drop, for a gradual crisis exit around July 16-17. Isolated storms already dey burst for Brittany and the Southwest, with hail and strong local gusts. These heat storms, fed by days of superheated air, be among the most violent for the year.
For your appliances, danger no just come from direct lightning strike: a surge spread through power grid or phone line, even from a strike several kilometres away, fit destroy a circuit board. When storm approach, one reflex protect 100%: physically unplug sensitive devices, removing plug from wall socket. The most fragile appliance for house na internet box: you must unplug from power AND phone line, as lightning also travel through line. Next na TV, with antenna plug, computer, game console, and all modern electronics.
The weakness of “unplug everything”: you must dey present. For when you dey absent, two protection levels exist. For main panel, a surge arrester divert surges to earth and protect whole house; e even compulsory for some lightning-prone departments. Simpler and without work, surge-protected plugs and power strips absorb surges before dem reach appliance. Their capacity measured in joules: higher means more protection. Honestly, against direct strike on nearby line, nothing fit resist, not even them; their job na to stop surges from distant storms, wey be most common.
Once sky clear, reconnect gradually, box last, and check main panel if any breaker trip. If power cut long during storm, fridge content follow same rules as heatwave: our guide detail how long food fit last without current. If appliance fry despite all, electrical damage from lightning covered by most home insurance, with proof: photos, kept appliance, and ideally lightning strike record for your town.
Finally, these storms remind say power grid also suffer from extremes, as our analysis of cuts during heatwave show. Comparing electricity offers no protect from lightning, but at least reduce bill for rest of summer. The storms wey go end this heatwave dey expected as relief. Make we welcome dem prepared: a disconnected box cost five minutes, a fried box cost days without internet. Between both, some joules of protection often make difference.
