Written by Rachel Boyd, E-Marketing Specialist 

There is no doubt that the weather in the UK is hugely varied and, at times, spectacular. As a result, the weather is a huge part of our culture and always features in our daily conversations – in fact, if stuck for small talk, you will always find common ground in a discussion about the weather!  While we dream of the elusive “BBQ Summer”, the British summer is, more often than not, wet.  And with the rain comes the thunderstorms.

This year, despite some nice weather here and there, the typical British Summer has struck again! We have had some violent storms recently which have featured widely in the national press-  take a look here and here, and also here.  While the pictures capture the beauty of nature at work, there is also a more serious side to the effects of lightning strikes.

What happens if your building or machinery gets struck by lightning and you do not have adequate protection? Take a look at this video.  Scary stuff.

So how can you minimise the effects of lightning strikes on your systems? Phoenix Contact has a wide range of innovative technology to help you protect all areas of your applications. Take a look here for in depth information about Surge Protection and some examples of areas of where it can be used.  We also have an extensive e-learning programme on our website- it can be accessed here.

If your building or system is in a remote or exposed area, the Lightning Monitoring System detects and evaluates the effect of lightning strikes, enabling you to evaluate whether maintenance is needed and therefore avoid expensive downtime. Here, you can read more about where the Lightning Monitoring System has been used.  For much more in-depth information about this innovative technology, take a look here.

If you are a building contractor or installation engineer, why not download our Protection App? Find out how you can protect your building against lightning currents and surge voltages and also how a typical house can be equipped.  Download the app in iTunes or download the app in Google Play.

We also have a Surge Protection Basics handbook covering the fundamental points of lightning and surge protection.  Download Trabtech Basics Handbook

For more information about surge protection, contact us by email or telephone 0845 881 2222.