Everton Park Sharks
STORM & LIGHTNING PLAN
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Storm &
LightningSafety Plan

How we keep swimmers, volunteers, officials and spectators safe during storms, rain, thunder and lightning at club nights. This plan follows Royal Life Saving Australia, Swimming Australia and Queensland storm safety guidelines.

What's happening right now?

Before the meet

If storms are forecast for the afternoon or evening, this goes up on the club Facebook page and the Swim Club app on the morning of the meet.

Morning weather advisory

Storms are forecast for later today. We will monitor conditions and provide updates on the Club's Facebook Page and Swim Club App if the meet is expected to be delayed or cancelled. Please note that we will proceed if it is only forecast for rain.

The committee appoints a Weather Watch Lead for each meet. They monitor conditions through BOM, Weatherzone and My LightningTracker, and make the call using the risk levels below. We always err on the side of caution — the safety of our members is our number one priority.

The four risk levels

1 Rain Lowest risk

Club nights go ahead in rain, including moderate or heavy rain.

  • Check visibility is safe for timekeeping and marshalling
  • Committee keeps monitoring the weather apps in case a storm develops
  • No evacuation needed
2 Thunder Moderate risk — a storm may be forming

Thunder heard, but no lightning visible yet.

  • Pause races immediately
  • Start active weather monitoring
  • Get ready to evacuate
3 Lightning High risk — stop immediately

Everyone out of the water. Racing does not resume until 30 minutes after the last thunder or lightning.

The 30/30 rule

Stop immediately if either of these is true:

Under 30 secbetween a lightning flash and the thunder that follows it
Within 10 kmlightning detected on radar or a lightning app

Clear the pool and pool deck within 30 seconds. The Weather Watch Lead monitors radar and keeps the 30 minute countdown. Do not resume until 30 minutes after the last thunder or lightning.

What to do the moment lightning is detected

  1. Announce the suspension on the microphone
  2. Stop races immediately — three whistle blasts
  3. Clear all swimmers from the water
  4. Check that young or vulnerable swimmers are with their parents
  5. Move everyone to a safe zone

The announcer gives an update every 10 minutes while racing is suspended.

Safe zones

  • Inside a parked car — the best protection
  • The undercover grandstand
  • Undercover, away from metal and wet areas

Stay away from

  • The pool, even standing on the edge
  • The pool deck
  • BBQ and canteen equipment
  • Under trees
  • Open grass and wet concrete
  • Metal poles, fences and starting blocks
4 Cancellation Highest level

A club night is cancelled if any one of these applies:

  • BOM issues a severe weather warning for Everton Park or the surrounding area — this can mean cancelling before the night starts
  • Lightning continues after the 30 minute wait
  • The storm is expected to last more than 30 minutes
  • Swimmer, carer or volunteer numbers drop to an unsafe level

The cancellation call is made by the Club President, or a delegated Executive Committee member.

Message templates

Ready to post to Facebook and the Swim Club app.

Racing suspended

Weather Update We are currently experiencing lightning in the area. Swim Club is temporarily suspended. Please move swimmers and families to the grandstand or to your cars. We will reassess in 30 minutes and provide updates through the app and Facebook.

Club night cancelled

Swim Club Cancelled Due to ongoing lightning and safety concerns we have cancelled tonight's swim meet. Thank you for your understanding, and stay safe.

What it means for points

If a club night is cancelled after 6:00pm, the night is recorded as cancelled and one point is awarded for each event nominated. See the points system in the club handbook.

Reviewing this plan

This plan is reviewed at the start of each season, after any significant incident, and after any club night that has to be suspended or cancelled.