You do not need a direct lightning strike on your home for a thunderstorm to damage your television or other electrical appliances.
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a Yellow Level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms in parts of the Eastern Cape on Monday, 12 October.
The warning brings attention to the dangers of heavy downpours, damaging winds, hail and lightning.
However, lightning can also pose a threat to electrical appliances inside homes.
How can lightning damage your TV?
Lightning can strike power lines, electrical infrastructure or the ground nearby, sending a sudden surge of electricity through connected systems.
This surge can travel through electrical wiring and damage televisions, computers, routers and other electronic devices.
Even if lightning strikes some distance from your home, the resulting electrical disturbance can still affect connected equipment.
Which appliances are most at risk?
Televisions, computers, gaming consoles, Wi-Fi routers and other sensitive electronics can suffer damage from electrical surges.
Lightning can also enter through communication cables, including those connected to internet equipment and satellite television systems.
In some cases, appliances may stop working immediately. In others, a surge may damage internal components without causing an obvious failure at first.
Surge protectors can help protect electrical devices against some voltage spikes, but they cannot guarantee protection against a direct or nearby lightning strike.
How can you protect your electronics?
The safest approach is to take precautions before a thunderstorm arrives.
- Unplug televisions, computers and other sensitive electronics before lightning approaches.
- Disconnect aerial, satellite and internet cables where it is safe to do so before the storm.
- Consider having a qualified electrician install whole-house surge protection.
- Avoid touching plugged-in appliances, electrical cords or sockets during a thunderstorm.
- Wait until the storm has passed before reconnecting equipment.
Wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder before resuming activities that involve contact with electrical equipment.
If lightning has damaged an appliance, avoid switching it on until a qualified technician has checked it.