Ghanaians are being warned by the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMA) to brace themselves for more heavy rains and raging lightning storms in the coming months.
Thunderstorms erupted in areas of Ghana’s capital, Accra, on Thursday and throughout the weekend, prompting some dread and panic among Ghanaians.
“Yes, more thunderstorm rains are on the way; we haven’t even reached June yet.” According to the lightning data, the month of June is the most active. There will be no lightning strikes in July or August. Indeed, there will be plenty of lighting and thunder along the coast and in the middle belt. “It’s not finished yet,” GMA’s Director of Forecasting, Joseph Portuphy, told Citi Morning Show anchor Bernard Avle.
During the Citi Morning Show, Joseph Portuphy advised Ghanaians not to stand near or beneath trees or high-rise buildings when it is raining because charge particles have the potential to kill people.
Mr. Portuphy further advised land developers to install arresters to avoid losing properties in their buildings when thunder and lightning strike.
“It’s not advisable to stay under tall trees or trees when it’s raining because when thunder strikes, it passes through the trees and when you are under the trees wearing slippers, the charged particles will pass through and kill you instantly. It is also dangerous to walk under trees during rains”.
He added, “The building code requires that when putting up tall buildings, you need to install charge arresters to prevent lightning from striking through the buildings. When walking, and it’s threatening to rain, and there’s lightning and thunder, we should avoid tall buildings and tall trees. Avoid anything that can expose you, you shouldn’t be carrying metals when it’s raining. Because the metal is a very good conductor of those charged particles. When the thunder strikes, and it falls on it, it can kill you, we should avoid all those things, and we will be fine”.
