What to do if there is a hailstorm

Official updatesLU-Alert · RTL, 100.7 · 112

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Get inside a solid building as soon as the hail starts, and stay there until it has passed and the warning is over.
Keep away from windows, glass doors and skylights. A room in the middle of the house is safest.
Stop the car somewhere safe if you are driving, away from trees, and stay inside it until the hail passes.
Stay indoors. Do not go out to protect the car or garden while hail is falling.
Unplug electronics you do not need, and stay off the landline phone while there is lightning.
Watch the drains and the cellar. Hail and heavy rain can block gutters and send water indoors: move valuables up and read Flooding.
Call Status: Verified for injuries or a fire, and follow LU-Alert or the radio on Status: Verified for the all-clear.

Hail is part of the thunderstorm warning. An orange warning can mean hailstones of Status: Verified or gusts of Status: Verified: secure anything loose outside, keep out of the woods, and never shelter under a tree.
A red warning can mean hailstones larger than Status: Verified or gusts above Status: Verified: avoid travel, and stay in a building, or in a car if you are caught on the road, until the all-clear. The levels are explained on Alerts and sirens.
Lightning usually comes with hail. Storm and strong wind explains when to take shelter from lightning and how to prepare for wind.

When an orange or red warning is given, put the car in a garage or under cover if you can.
Bring in garden furniture, parasols, plant pots and bins. Roll up awnings and close the shutters.
Keep gutters, drains and the grid in front of the garage clear, so water can run away.
Check what your home and car insurance cover for hail, and keep the papers in your household plan.

A torch, a battery or wind-up radio and a charged power bank, in case the power goes. See the emergency kit checklist.

Wait until the storm has moved on before you go out. Stay inside until Status: Verified after the last thunder.
Walk carefully: hail can make pavements and roads as slippery as ice.
Look at the roof, skylights and windows from the ground. Never go on the roof: leave repairs up there to professionals.
Cover broken windows or skylights from inside with plastic sheeting and tape, to keep the rain out.
Clear hail out of gutters and drains you can reach safely.
Photograph the damage to the house and car before you clear up. The insurer will ask for it.
Check on the neighbours. If the power is out, follow Power is out.

Keep them inside and away from the windows. The noise of hail on the roof can be frightening: tell them it will pass soon.
If they are outside when it starts, they should go into the nearest building, not run home.

Plan to stay in on warning days. Do not go out to clear hail or check the car; ask a neighbour to help once it is safe.

Bring them inside before the storm. Afterwards, watch for broken glass on the ground.

Clear the balcony and keep away from large balcony windows while the hail falls. Check that the balcony drain is not blocked by hail afterwards.