How Lightning Season Can Affect Your Summer Travel

Summer is traditionally a popular time for travel. Kids are out of school and the weather is warm and sunny, perfect for outdoor fun. However, the hot summer air also creates an atmosphere at high risk of lightning. This has the potential to not only disrupt your outdoor activities but also your travel. With a lightning alert system from Earth Networks, you can be prepared and minimise the impact on your fun.

Air Travel

One of the main ways that lightning affects your summer travel is through flight delays and cancellations. Airlines monitor real-time lightning and storm movements using devices like Earth Networks to determine when it is safe to travel, and when the best course of action is to delay or cancel flights.

A rogue lightning strike on a plane might be fine since planes are built to deflect and withstand lightning. However, most airlines will delay or cancel flights if there is a severe thunderstorm with the threat of lightning out of safety not just for the flight crew and passengers but also for the support crew on the tarmac. This might impact your travel even if you are not in the area with the storms since your plane might be coming from the affected area.

Car Travel

Many summer travellers rely on road trips to get from one place to another, with the journey part of the experience. Although there are not as many delays specifically caused by lightning in car travel, it can still cause accidents, unsafe driving conditions, slowdowns, and car problems. Most vehicles, especially those with hard tops, are generally safe if struck by lightning. However, there might be a power surge. With many modern vehicles relying extensively on electrical power, this could leave you stranded.

To prevent the lightning season from negatively affecting your summer travel through delays and potential hazards, it is important to monitor the weather in real-time to know what to expect. Contact us to learn more about Earth Networks and how our devices provide real-time data from the largest weather observation network.