10 departments in the Occitanie and Pyrénées-Atlantiques regions were taken into the Orange vigilance by Météofrance. From 2 pm to midnight, severe thunderstorms will occur locally. In addition to lightning, water hoses must also drop locally between 20 and 40 mm or even 50 mm. The whole may be accompanied by hail and winds of up to 100 km. It is enough to cause a combination of risks for your electronic devices, such as the direct impact of lightning and the overvoltages that can occur if overhead electrical installations are damaged. Here is the list of departments affected by the orange alert:
- Lands (40)
- Atlantic Pyrenees (64)
- Lot and Garonne (47)
- Gers (32)
- Hautes-Pyrenees (66)
- Tarn-et-Garonne (82)
- Upper Garonne (31)
- Tarn (81)
- Ariege (09)
Two other parts of the south of France, Corsica and Andorra, have also been placed on yellow alert. Most operators urge their users to be cautious when thunderstorms are on the horizon. For example, many boxes burned down in the south of France last year after a storm in Gard that destroyed 4,000 homes. There are many solutions available to prevent unexpected malfunction and overheating of your device, which can be fatal. You already know what to do in the event of a heat wave to protect your internet box, now learn what to do and what not to do in case of a storm!
Unplug your internet box during storm warning
This tip may seem obvious, but unfortunately many consumers tend to overlook it. If you think the storm is getting stronger, don’t hesitate. unplug all your modemsIf you have an ADSL box, including the cable connected to your telephone jack. Going without Wi-Fi is not always pleasant, but caution is the mother of security. For added security, move your modem away from walls or electrically conductive objects.
Orange vigilance: equip yourself with a lightning rod outlet or power strip
These power strips are highly effective in protecting your internet access equipment. Many operators offer their own products for sale. Brands like Belkin have also debuted in such devices. Cheap, between 8 and 15 euros, they will guarantee the security of your internet box. It’s an investment you should make if you’re a lightning hunter on a regular basis. A surge protector is fairly simple to use. All you have to do is plug in your box and plug it in. It will act as a router and it will absorb any surge caused by lightning. A surge protector can also be used to protect your telephone jack from a power surge. All you have to do is plug in your phone cable.
Weather alert: opt for an inverter
A UPS is essentially a device that acts as a lightning arrester. The only difference: In the event of a power outage, your laptop or television will have stored enough electricity to allow you to use it for up to 30 more minutes. Overall, it also allows you to connect more outlets than a conventional surge protector. Its price varies between 50 and 1000 Euros, depending on its strength and needs. For classic family use, a low-cost inverter should do the trick.
follow the weather
Sorry for the pun, but that was very appealing. Some thunderstorms sometimes break out unexpectedly. It is important to be aware of the risks so that your modem does not succumb to lightning one evening while you are away, before you unplug the equipment. For that, we recommend choosing one of these 10 weather apps on Android. Some operators, such as Orange, also offer storm warning services. By subscribing to this service, in case of a storm at your place of residence, you will receive an SMS informing you of the situation and the measures to be taken. If, after a storm, the operator notices a malfunction in your box, they will consult you without further delay to make sure everything is in order.
Choose 4G or 3G in case of storm
If you really want to use the internet in stormy weather, we recommend using your Android device as an internet access point and giving your internet box some rest. Most smartphones can actually stream your mobile network and turn it into a WiFi network for use on a laptop or stationary computer. It is better for this to take advantage of a solid mobile connection to avoid unpleasant surprises at the end of the month.
We hope these little tips will be useful to you and help your boxes survive the upcoming storms. If you have any other tips for protecting your equipment from lightning, please share them with the community.
