Thursday 06/11/14
Not only is Mother Nature beautiful, she can be harsh and unforgiving. Before you venture out of the house for a day in the countryside or a day at the beach; please check the weather forecast before leaving the house. If high temperatures or storms are predicted for your area, please modify your plans accordingly.
Weather extremes don't necessarily mean you have to cancel your entire day, merely adjust your day to suit the conditions. If it's going to be hot, wear a hat and sunscreen and take 3-4 litres of water per person. Stay well hydrated; actually drink the water you brought with you. If you have a headache, feel like you've been run over by a truck and your urine is dark in colour, you are severely dehydrated. Get out of the sun and start drinking water. Stay out of the sun as much as possible and watch out for your mates. In hot conditions, heat stress and sun stroke hit people very quickly.
Pay attention to bush fire warnings. If the current risk level in your area is SEVERE, EXTREME or CATESTROPHIC; don't go on a long hike into the bush to your favourite picnic area. If a fire does break out, you don't want several miles of bush between yourself and safety. Find some other activity to do for the day, or a different location to have your picnic. The Rural Fire Brigade has better things to do with their time than risk their lives searching for people who willingly wander into the lion's den.
People no longer show respect for the beach and the ocean. When I was a child, people would watch the water for signs of a rip or other adverse conditions before getting in for a swim. Nowadays, they jump in without a care in the world, believing it to be a well maintained ride at a water-themed tourist attraction. It's not. If you don't have enough experience to read the conditions, ask the lifeguard on duty. They'd rather answer questions than drag bodies out of the water. One last thing about the beach; please swim between the flags. The lifeguards know that section of beach is safe for swimming. Swimming at an unpatrolled beach is dangerous. If you get in trouble out there, you are on your own.
If it looks like storms (with strong winds, hail or lightning), make sure you don't venture too far from the house. Or better still, stay home. Lightning strikes and flash flooding are guaranteed to ruin anybody's picnic.
Summer's already here, so are the storms and the threat of bushfire. Play safe, look out for your mates and don't become a statistic.