Fall and winter are seasons prone to storms. They are caused by the fact that the oceans are still relatively warm while the polar air is already cold, as the official government website explains.

In the event of bad weather of this kind, a certain number of precautions must be taken to protect yourself and your environment from possible damage. It is advisable, first of all, to bring home the objects likely to be carried away by the gusts of wind (garden furniture, parasol, potted plants…), and to close doors and shutters.

The official government website also advises you to stay well informed of any vigilance put in place by Météo France in your department, and to check in with your elderly or disabled relatives to make sure that they do not need your help.

If a storm alert occurs while your children are at school, do not pick them up: “they are taken care of by the educational teams and the rescue services in school or extra-curricular settings”, recalls the site.

In addition, it is advisable to unplug your electrical appliances to avoid household accidents. Find out which ones to unplug first in our slideshow below.

To protect yourself from the storm, but especially from lightning in the event of a storm, it is advisable to take shelter as quickly as possible in a building. If you can’t take shelter somewhere, avoid trees and metal structures.

Be careful never to run if there is a storm: prefer to remain motionless, squatting and feet together. Finally, the official government site recommends not to bathe in this type of situation.