0:00:02 > 0:00:03'Coming up on Fierce Earth -
0:00:03 > 0:00:06'it's all about flashes and bangs
0:00:06 > 0:00:10'as we enter the scary world of the thunderstorm.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13'In Florida, the storm capital of America,
0:00:13 > 0:00:17'we reveal what happens when you mix electricity with lightning.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21'We meet the British boy who cheated death
0:00:21 > 0:00:24'when lightning struck him at school.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28'And we find out just how fierce a hailstorm can get.'
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Argh!
0:00:30 > 0:00:32'The Fierce Earth team are on a mission
0:00:32 > 0:00:37'to investigate the two deadliest threats from a thunderstorm,
0:00:37 > 0:00:39'lightning and hail.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43'And discover how to survive if a monster storm comes your way.'
0:00:43 > 0:00:46Oh, my gosh! I was not expecting that.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50'What happens when the ground shakes,
0:00:50 > 0:00:55'the seas rise up and the air tears itself apart?
0:00:55 > 0:00:57'The Fierce Earth team move in,
0:00:57 > 0:01:00'taking on the most powerful forces on the planet.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18'Get ready for Fierce Earth.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20'The Earth and how to survive it.'
0:01:29 > 0:01:32'At any one time, it's estimated that 1,800 thunderstorms
0:01:32 > 0:01:34'are happening across the world.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39'Huge dark clouds, flashes of lightning...
0:01:39 > 0:01:41THUNDERCLAP
0:01:41 > 0:01:44'..followed by bangs of thunder...
0:01:44 > 0:01:47'and, if you're really unlucky, tennis-ball-sized hail.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52'But where does all this fury come from?
0:01:52 > 0:01:54THUNDERCLAP
0:01:57 > 0:01:59'Thunderstorms form best in hot weather
0:01:59 > 0:02:03'because they need the warm moist air from near the ground
0:02:03 > 0:02:05'to rise really, really high and cool
0:02:05 > 0:02:07'to form huge clouds full of moisture.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11'Some of that moisture falls as rain,
0:02:11 > 0:02:13'but if it's cold enough high in the cloud
0:02:13 > 0:02:15'hail can form when the water freezes
0:02:15 > 0:02:19'and the tiny ice balls bounce around, growing in size.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24'Until gravity eventually brings them hurtling to Earth.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27'Lightning is generated inside a thundercloud
0:02:27 > 0:02:30'where the water and ice crystals rub together
0:02:30 > 0:02:33'to create a static charge in the sky.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36'Like rubbing your head against a balloon.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38'Eventually, there's enough energy
0:02:38 > 0:02:42'to jump all the way to the surface of the Earth in a lightning bolt.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51'You can be sure some of those storms are happening in Florida
0:02:51 > 0:02:56'because this is the thunder and lightning capital of America.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00'Perfect for a storm chaser like me to get right into the action,
0:03:00 > 0:03:03'photographing and recording extreme weather.'
0:03:03 > 0:03:05- THUNDERCLAP! - Oh!
0:03:05 > 0:03:06Oh, it hit that pole!
0:03:07 > 0:03:10'That means life isn't always fun for my car.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15'Hail's destroyed five of my windscreens.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17'So I went back to the drawing board
0:03:17 > 0:03:20'and came up with this ultra-mean storm-proof version.'
0:03:22 > 0:03:24This is Lexan, which is basically bulletproof.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27'Complete with a super-tough outer shell.'
0:03:27 > 0:03:28Check out this paint.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31'Hail has no chance against it.'
0:03:32 > 0:03:37'Over the years, I've come under attack from huge hurricanes...'
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Wow, here comes the blast.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42'.violent tornadoes...
0:03:42 > 0:03:46'and monster thunderstorms.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48'Normally, my state-of-the-art equipment
0:03:48 > 0:03:51'keeps me one step ahead of the weather.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57'But no weather report can tell you where lightning will strike next.'
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Tornados, you can see them coming, you can prepare.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Hurricanes, you know they're coming.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12But lightning happens so quick, and it can just zap you in a second.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16'I want to know more about lightning,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19'but you never know where or when it'll strike...
0:04:19 > 0:04:22'unless you're in this building.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26'I've come to a high-voltage lab in Florida.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28'It's one of the few places
0:04:28 > 0:04:30'where you can get really close to a lightning bolt
0:04:30 > 0:04:34'without becoming one of the 40 Americans killed by them each year.'
0:04:35 > 0:04:39- Hey, Mike.- Hey, how are you? Wow! Look at this facility!
0:04:39 > 0:04:42'Hugh is going to fire up this huge generator
0:04:42 > 0:04:46'to create our very own Fierce Earth lightning strike.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52'Lightning strikes are millions of volts of electricity
0:04:52 > 0:04:55'trying to get from inside a thundercloud to Earth.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57'This is called earthing.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01'They do this the easiest way they can,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04'so objects like aerials and pylons are perfect targets
0:05:04 > 0:05:07'because they conduct electricity so well.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12'This massive generator is our thundercloud.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17'When we turn on a light or our computer at home,
0:05:17 > 0:05:19'we use about 240 volts.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24'This machine's about to generate 2,000 times that.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27'A massive half a million volts.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30'If all goes well, our lightning bolt
0:05:30 > 0:05:32'will jump from Point A on this wire
0:05:32 > 0:05:35'over to Point B on this electricity pylon
0:05:35 > 0:05:37'through thin air.'
0:05:38 > 0:05:42- So, it's going to travel all the way from there to there?- Correct.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44OK. I'm ready, let's do it.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48'If it went wrong, this experiment could kill,
0:05:48 > 0:05:51'so we head to the safely of the control room.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55'We'll still be just five metres away from the flash.'
0:05:55 > 0:05:58You look relaxed. I'm nervous. We're OK, right?
0:05:58 > 0:06:02'As the voltage increases, these crackling sparks
0:06:02 > 0:06:06'show that our lightning bolt is getting more and more energy.'
0:06:06 > 0:06:07It's getting louder.
0:06:07 > 0:06:12'Eventually, it's able to make the jump across to the pylon.'
0:06:15 > 0:06:17- Ooh!- There we go.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23'That was over in the blink of an eye.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26'Let's take another look.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30'The lightning jumps across nearly a metre of air
0:06:30 > 0:06:33'to the metal pylon at the speed of light.
0:06:33 > 0:06:38'That's fast enough to travel to the moon in just 1.3 seconds.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40'On a real strike...
0:06:40 > 0:06:44'the air is heated to over 20,000 degrees.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48'That's three times hotter than the surface of the sun.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50'The noise that made us all jump...
0:06:51 > 0:06:55'..is the air being torn apart by the energy in the electricity.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58GROANING
0:06:58 > 0:07:00CRACK! There we go.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02'What we're hearing is thunder.'
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Wow! That was awesome.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06'As well as being incredible to watch,
0:07:06 > 0:07:10'we've also discovered something fascinating about thunderstorms.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13THUNDERCLAP!
0:07:13 > 0:07:16'Thunder and lightning are actually the same event.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19'Because we were stood right next to the strike,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22'the noise and flash happened at the same time.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26'But when you watch a storm in the distance,
0:07:26 > 0:07:29'there seems to be a gap between the flash of lightning
0:07:29 > 0:07:31'and the clap of thunder.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34'This is because light moves through the air faster than sound,
0:07:34 > 0:07:38'so we see the flash before we hear the thunder.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41THUNDERCLAP!
0:07:41 > 0:07:44'It works out that if the gap is five seconds...
0:07:44 > 0:07:46THUNDERCLAP!
0:07:46 > 0:07:48'..the storm is one mile away.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51'Ten seconds...
0:07:52 > 0:07:54THUNDERCLAP!
0:07:54 > 0:07:56'..two miles away, and so on.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01'So now we can measure how far away a storm is.
0:08:01 > 0:08:02THUNDERCLAP!
0:08:02 > 0:08:07'Lightning is a major worry if you're caught in a thunderstorm,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10'but those dark clouds carry another destructive threat.
0:08:12 > 0:08:13'Hail.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19'Leo and Zoe now try to recreate the awesome damage
0:08:19 > 0:08:21'these balls of ice are capable of.'
0:08:28 > 0:08:31'Hailstones form several miles up inside
0:08:31 > 0:08:34'the largest and most severe thunderclouds.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36'When the current of rising warm air
0:08:36 > 0:08:39'fuelling the cloud is powerful enough,
0:08:39 > 0:08:43'it's able to keep ice particles bouncing around and growing
0:08:43 > 0:08:47'until eventually gravity brings the hailstones hurtling to Earth.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51'By the time they smash into the ground,
0:08:51 > 0:08:55'they can be travelling up to 100 miles per hour,
0:08:55 > 0:08:58'which is not good news for anything in their way.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02'Imagine experiencing chunks of ice smashing windows and furniture,
0:09:02 > 0:09:06'destroying greenhouses and even piercing roofs.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14'Today on Fierce Earth, we want to find out
0:09:14 > 0:09:18'what it feels like to be caught in a hailstorm like this.
0:09:18 > 0:09:23'We've decided Leo's the one for this man-versus-nature challenge.'
0:09:25 > 0:09:29'All Zoe's told me is I'm about to be attacked by a very nasty hailstorm.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32'Time to dash to the safety of my trusty car
0:09:32 > 0:09:34'as I don't want to be caught outside.'
0:09:34 > 0:09:38That's better. Should be safe in here.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40'Don't be so sure, Leo.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43'Not all hail is pea-sized, like we get in the UK.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48'The largest hailstone ever found was 20 centimetres in diameter.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51'That's the size of a football.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57'Usually, the bigger the hail, the more damage it does.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01'Even a car is going to suffer if it's pelted by large hailstones.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04'Look what happens to this windscreen when it's hit.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13'Leo is safely in his car, but is his car safe from us?
0:10:13 > 0:10:17'These 100 gram ice balls are going to be doing their best
0:10:17 > 0:10:20'to put some serious dents in it, just like nature can do.'
0:10:20 > 0:10:22Come on, guys, I need a bit of help.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Hello, Leo.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31'This looks like fun, but we've taken lots of safety precautions
0:10:31 > 0:10:33'to recreate this hailstorm.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39'The car's taking a pounding from only four metres away.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45'Leo's getting a real taste of the noise and fury of a hailstorm,
0:10:45 > 0:10:49'but even our hardest throws fail to dent his car...
0:10:50 > 0:10:51'..or even shatter a window.'
0:10:54 > 0:10:58That was terrifying. You can't imagine how loud it is in there.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01Bunch of big guys throwing chunks of ice as hard as they can,
0:11:01 > 0:11:03but the car's stood up pretty well.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06Goes to show how full-on a real hailstorm is.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09The power of nature would smash the car to pieces.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14'Now I'm a little bit nervous.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17'In the name of science, my car and I have felt the force
0:11:17 > 0:11:19'of 50 large ice balls.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24'Travelling at 60 miles per hour.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31'But incredibly we've both come through unscathed.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38'After seeing what a thunderstorm can throw at you,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41'I'm grateful I don't live in the top three thunderstorm sites
0:11:41 > 0:11:43'on the world's stormiest continents.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49'In third place, North America's stormiest place.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52'No surprises it's in Florida, at the city of Lakeland,
0:11:52 > 0:11:57'which has a thunderstorm on at least 100 days per year.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01'Second, it's South East Asia and Bandung in Indonesia.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05'With 218 annual stormy days.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09'And the world's stormiest place is in Africa.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12'The countryside around Kampala, the capital of Uganda,
0:12:12 > 0:12:16'endures a shocking 242 stormy days per year.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23'Thunderstorms don't happen anything like this often in Britain.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28'But when they do they can still have serious consequences,
0:12:28 > 0:12:32'as this amazing story of a dangerous lightning strike reveals.'
0:12:35 > 0:12:37THUNDERCLAP!
0:12:37 > 0:12:42Lightning strikes on people are rare, but incredibly dangerous.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47'Of the 300,000 lightning strikes that hit the UK each year,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49'around 30 hit people.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53'That means the chance of being hit by lightning
0:12:53 > 0:12:56'is around two million to one.'
0:12:56 > 0:12:59And that's what happened to 11-year-old Joe from Swindon.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01SIRENS WAIL
0:13:01 > 0:13:05'Joe was waiting outside his school for a lift home
0:13:05 > 0:13:08'at 3:00 one cloudy autumn afternoon.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12'There was certainly no sign of a storm in the air.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15'Then out of nowhere came a huge boom of thunder
0:13:15 > 0:13:18'and a blinding flash of lightning.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20THUNDERCLAP!
0:13:22 > 0:13:24'Joe's head teacher, Mr Sissons,
0:13:24 > 0:13:27'was in his office overlooking the front of school.'
0:13:27 > 0:13:30The windows in the whole place shook.
0:13:30 > 0:13:36And it was a virtually sort of vertical shaft of lightning.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38- Gosh!- Quite incredible.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41'The thunderbolt was heard for miles around,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44'including by Joe's mum at home.'
0:13:44 > 0:13:47We've got a main road around the corner
0:13:47 > 0:13:49and I thought it was a car crash, the bang of it.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51THUNDERCLAP!
0:13:53 > 0:13:56'Little did she know, this bolt of lightning
0:13:56 > 0:13:58'was to have life-threatening consequences.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01'Instead of going straight to ground,
0:14:01 > 0:14:03'it hit Joe and went through him.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08'In open spaces, people stand out like small trees.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10'In this case, the bolt had used Joe
0:14:10 > 0:14:13'as its point of contact with the Earth.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16'It sent an enormous electric shock through his body,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19'causing his heart to stop beating properly.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23'Joe needed immediate medical help to stay alive.'
0:14:23 > 0:14:26So at that point I'd just rung for an ambulance
0:14:26 > 0:14:28and was coming out to see what had happened.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31I didn't even know a student had been hit.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35- That must have terrifying. - It was absolutely frightful.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38'An ambulance crew arrived and took Joe,
0:14:38 > 0:14:40'fighting for his life, to hospital.
0:14:40 > 0:14:45'Meanwhile, his mum was receiving the news of what had happened.'
0:14:45 > 0:14:49I got a phone call about five minutes after it happened.
0:14:49 > 0:14:54At that time, it still wasn't real. It was still, "It can't be Joe."
0:14:57 > 0:15:01'At hospital, the doctors battled to get Joe's heart beating properly.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08'And thankfully he was soon stable on a life-support machine
0:15:08 > 0:15:10'with his mum at his bedside.'
0:15:10 > 0:15:13When I first saw him, all I could see was his face.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17He was covered in this bubble wrap thing from his neck down.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20But it was hard. It didn't look like Joe.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22'Although he was out of danger,
0:15:22 > 0:15:25'the heat from the lightning bolt had left burns on his body.'
0:15:25 > 0:15:30Well, I had burns on my legs and...
0:15:30 > 0:15:33my chest, my stomach.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37'After a five-week stay in hospital, Joe could come home,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40'but his recovery was not complete.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44'To help heal his burns, he must avoid the sunshine for two years
0:15:44 > 0:15:48'and his heart must be monitored for the rest of his life.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52'But considering he was struck by millions of volts of electricity,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55'the speed of his recovery has been amazing.'
0:15:55 > 0:15:59Having seen the state he was in when he was put into the ambulance,
0:15:59 > 0:16:00it's remarkable.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04But actually, in reality, he's a determined little fella
0:16:04 > 0:16:07and he's doing very, very well indeed.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11'Joe looks forward to the day when he can go outside and play football.
0:16:11 > 0:16:17'In the meantime, his story has earned him a superhero nickname.'
0:16:17 > 0:16:20Some of his friends call him Lightning Bolt Joe.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25'Lightning strikes like the one that hit Joe are rare in Britain
0:16:25 > 0:16:27'but over in one part of America
0:16:27 > 0:16:30'dealing with their lethal threat is an everyday peril.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36'Leo and Mike get on their gear
0:16:36 > 0:16:40'and enter the world of one of America's most dangerous jobs.'
0:16:43 > 0:16:47'Leo's come over to Florida to find out what makes my home state
0:16:47 > 0:16:50'one of the most dangerous places to live in America.'
0:16:50 > 0:16:54There's quite a lot of hazards for Florida residents, eh?
0:16:54 > 0:16:57There is. I mean, we have the weather aspect.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00You've got hurricanes, lightning, tornados,
0:17:00 > 0:17:04and then the wildlife, we have alligators, crocodiles, snakes.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Florida does have a lot of really dangerous aspects.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10'Lightning's the one I worry about the most.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18'Because Florida gets hit more than anywhere else in America.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22'An amazing 1.4 million times per year.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24'When those lightning bolts hit,
0:17:24 > 0:17:28'they look for the easiest way to reach the ground.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32'Because they're taller than most things and contain a lot of metal,
0:17:32 > 0:17:36'often the best target is an electricity pylon.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43'The brave people who fix them after storms are called linemen.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48'Today, they're letting us join their Miami training academy.'
0:17:49 > 0:17:54- Leo, you're not afraid of heights, are you?- Not exactly, Mike.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59'We're here to learn how linemen safely disconnect power lines
0:17:59 > 0:18:02'and then work on them after massive storms.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08'We'll be under the watchful eye of David and Frank.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12'Our first job is to make sure we look the part.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17'In a fire-resistant shirt and harness.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22'Next up, it's the monster tool belt,
0:18:22 > 0:18:26'full of everything you need to make a repair ten metres above ground.'
0:18:26 > 0:18:29These belts can weigh approximately 14 plus kilos.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32'That's the same as a two-year-old child.'
0:18:32 > 0:18:35You would not want to be carrying that for six hours a day.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37Wow! Look at that.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43'For our first task, David wants Leo to use this tool
0:18:43 > 0:18:46'to safely disconnect the power from this line.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50'Linemen must learn to do this correctly
0:18:50 > 0:18:53'to stay alive near high voltages.'
0:18:53 > 0:18:55Leo, if you would like to try this,
0:18:55 > 0:18:57we'd like to go ahead and open up this switch.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59- OK.- You've got this.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02I'm going to try and bust this load.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05There you go. Push that into the eye.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08You have just interrupted a load with no issues.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13'That wasn't too bad.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16'But linemen have to be able to do fiddly jobs like this
0:19:16 > 0:19:19'wearing special gloves that protect them
0:19:19 > 0:19:21'from lethal 10,000 volt shocks.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25'One way they practise is by trying to pick up pennies from a table.'
0:19:25 > 0:19:28Let's see if you can pick up these coins.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Not very successful.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35Oh, come on, it can't be that hard.
0:19:35 > 0:19:36- 'No joy for Leo.'- OK, I give up.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38All right, let's try this out.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41I feel like I'm wearing two orange cones.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43All right, give it a go on the coins.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49- Perfect!- Good job.- Picked it up.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51Nice job, Mike.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53'We've done pretty well with the ground training,
0:19:53 > 0:19:57'but now we hand over to no-nonsense Frank.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01'His climbing skills give Leo a run for his money.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04'He wants to make sure we understand the dangers
0:20:04 > 0:20:06'of working five metres above the ground
0:20:06 > 0:20:10'next to cables carrying 13,000 volts.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14'One wrong move and you're toast.'
0:20:14 > 0:20:18Up there, we're about 12 inches away from what could be a bomb.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20It's very dangerous. We could get electrocuted.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24- OK? So, you guys ready to do this thing?- Ready.- Ready.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27'You should never, ever go near a pylon.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31'Although we've disconnected the electricity going through this wire,
0:20:31 > 0:20:35'it's still vital Leo does exactly as Frank says.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37'Their job is to make this pylon safe to work on
0:20:37 > 0:20:40'by putting these rubber blankets over the wires.'
0:20:40 > 0:20:42We use these to insulate.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46'Rubber will not let electricity pass through it.'
0:20:46 > 0:20:48Take that and drape it over there, like I just did.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50Easier said than done. I'll try.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53'The most important part of Frank's job
0:20:53 > 0:20:56'is to stay safe from both electric shocks
0:20:56 > 0:21:00'and from lightning strikes in this very dangerous environment.'
0:21:00 > 0:21:03Electricity wants to do one thing, go to ground.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06- You're a great way to go to ground. - That won't be pretty.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08No. Not pretty at all.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11'The high-level repair is done.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15'Now it's just down to me to hook the power back up.'
0:21:15 > 0:21:17- Hold it. Job well done. Thank you. - Thank you, sir.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19'We've done it.
0:21:19 > 0:21:24'We've got a feel for one of the world's most extreme jobs.'
0:21:24 > 0:21:27These linemen have got it tough. Oh, man!
0:21:27 > 0:21:29I think I'm going to stick to chasing storms.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36'Linemen have the right clothing to protect them from lightning strikes,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39'but most of us don't have that luxury.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42'Leo and Clare are now off to the woods to find out what to do
0:21:42 > 0:21:45'if you're caught in a storm with no protection.'
0:21:49 > 0:21:54- The rain is getting a bit heavier, Leo.- I think we might get wet.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58'Fierce Earth has sent Leo and me into the middle of nowhere.'
0:21:58 > 0:22:01So, how far away is our car?
0:22:01 > 0:22:03Er...quite far.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06- I don't know where we are, actually. - Yes.
0:22:07 > 0:22:12'The rain's coming down and we've nowhere to shelter. Great(!)
0:22:12 > 0:22:15'But, hey, it's all in the name science.'
0:22:15 > 0:22:18- Uh-oh!- Uh-oh!- Are we going to be caught in the woods overnight?
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Well, I don't know, but I hope not.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25'As darkness falls, the weather's getting worse.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28'A thunderstorm could arrive at any time.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32'We could be exposed to potential lightning strikes and flash floods.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35'We need to get some shelter.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38'Luckily, we're not alone.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41'Storm survival expert Chalky is here to help us.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45'He's been teaching weather survival skills for over 20 years
0:22:45 > 0:22:46'and he's so tough
0:22:46 > 0:22:50'he even trains soldiers how to cope with extreme conditions.'
0:22:52 > 0:22:56Guys! What are you doing out in weather like this?
0:22:56 > 0:22:58Guys, you need to think about your shelter.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00'If thunder and lightning does arrive,
0:23:00 > 0:23:03'we need to get out of harm's way by building a shelter.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06'But where we choose to build it is critical.'
0:23:06 > 0:23:08- Things you need to consider.- Right.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12- We're in a nice big woodland.- Yeah. - Let's get in the middle of the wood.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14If possible, stay away from the larger trees.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Make sure there's no dead branches like the one up there
0:23:17 > 0:23:21just hanging on the tree. High winds, that will come down.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24Get away from low ground. There's a chance of flash floods.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28- You know what you're looking for and what to do.- Come on, let's go.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32'Chalky's given us ten minutes
0:23:32 > 0:23:35'to find the right location and build our shelter.'
0:23:35 > 0:23:36The time is against them.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40The water's starting to come down nice and heavy now.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43'All we've got to help us is some string and a plastic sheet.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46'So we'll need to gather wood to make the frame.'
0:23:46 > 0:23:49- We don't want to be in a ditch in case we get flash flooded.- OK.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52We don't want to be underneath the big trees
0:23:52 > 0:23:54because they might get hit by lightning.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57OK, this is looking pretty good.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00'Deep in the woods, we find the perfect spot.'
0:24:02 > 0:24:05- Not bad. We're getting a lot of shelter.- Yeah.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09'But we've only got five minutes left to build our shelter.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12'We need to remember those Cub Scout knots.'
0:24:12 > 0:24:14- Have you got any string, Leo? - I have.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18Oh, well done. Let's have a go. There's more here.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21The rain is getting heavier. I think the storm's getting closer.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29'A few more knots and carefully-positioned logs later,
0:24:29 > 0:24:33'our time's up and Chalky's back for inspection.'
0:24:34 > 0:24:36- How are we getting on? - We're getting there.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40This is a really good site. You've stayed away from the larger trees.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43You're in the shorter tree part of the wood
0:24:43 > 0:24:45and the trees you're using are spot on.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48You need to get in your shelter, keep your core temperature warm.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51- OK.- Get in, Clare. Come on.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53- OK.- Here we go.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57'Thanks to Chalky's help, our shelter should keep us safe
0:24:57 > 0:25:00'because we found a site where the trees are not too tall,
0:25:00 > 0:25:02'so they are less likely to get struck by lightning.
0:25:02 > 0:25:07'The high ground will help us to avoid flash floods.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11'And this well-constructed design should stay strong in high winds.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13'If the storm comes, we've given ourselves
0:25:13 > 0:25:16'the best chance to make it through the night.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26'The Fierce Earth team have finished their duel with the thunderstorm.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30'We've discovered you must fear its killer lightning...
0:25:30 > 0:25:32'and monster hail.'
0:25:35 > 0:25:39'But, if you do find yourself in the middle of a thunderstorm,
0:25:39 > 0:25:41'remember our Fierce Earth survival guide.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45'If you have to shelter outside,
0:25:45 > 0:25:48'keep close to the ground under a low tree canopy.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53'Stay away from electricity pylons and tall trees.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57'If the storm has large hailstones, get out of the line of fire.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00'They can be incredibly destructive.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04'This is how to maximise your chance of surviving the fierce earth.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11'Coming up next time on Fierce Earth -
0:26:11 > 0:26:13'an explosive volcano special.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19'We get face-to-face with two of the world's most spectacular volcanoes.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22'We're going inside, outside
0:26:22 > 0:26:26- 'and all the way to the red-hot top.'- Wow!
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd