Life in Highveld is interesting and unpredictable.

At 3.59, its sunny enough for washing and considering a braai. By 4:07, the sky has gone charcoal, wind is making your trees do the Hula and that sock on the clothes horse is halfway to Midrand.

Welcome to storm season in Highveld, where everything is made up and the rules don’t matter.

If you live in Gauteng, North West or the Free State, you know the routine: the afternoon storm rolls in, the power trips, the router goes quiet, and somebody asks whether the washing was brought in. It wasn’t. Sure, a little preparation won’t stop the storm. However, it can make the rest of the afternoon less of a scramble.

Remember the first rule of Boy Scouts (and Scar); Be Prepared:

Many of us have the same weather prediction routine. Sprinkle optimism, notice the sky darken, ask “is it gonna rain?” and then… see what happens. Great when you’re 5 and still own a raincoat. Not great when you’re an actual adult with adult things to do who needs to do adulting.

Don’t wait for the first fat raindrop to check the forecast. Have a look at Vox Weather before you plan the braai, the school run or that optimistic load of washing.

The Tornado Twister is for the people who want to know what’s happening right around home by tracking conditions such as rainfall, wind speed and temperature. Useful information when the sky over your suburb looks suspicious, even though the forecast for “Johannesburg” says mostly sunny.

Then do the unglamorous bits: bring in what’s outside, close the windows and charge your phone while you still can. Find the torch in case the lights go off. The phone flashlight is a solution, but it’s also how you end up with 8% battery and no way to fight with City Power on Twitter.

Call it when you hear thunder:

Look, we know this sounds like a hurricane warning and we don’t live in New Orleans, but thunderstorms can be seriously dangerous. Lightning doesn’t care about your favourite t-shirt on the line or your desperate need to salvage the last boerewors. Grown-ups, children and pets need to make their way inside the moment things look gloomy (although your dog hiding under the bed may already be ten steps ahead of you).

Protect the router BEFORE the power trips:

A storm can bring power interruptions and voltage spikes. Suitable surge protection can help protect your electronics, but it isn’t a force field against a lightning strike.

If a severe storm is on the way, switch off and unplug sensitive equipment while it’s still safe to do so. Once lightning is close, don’t rush around touching plugs and cables (your TV can wait, tempting as it may be).  If the power trips, don’t assume your Fibre is down. Your router and Fibre box both need electricity. A UPS or backup power system can keep that equipment running through an interruption, provided both devices are connected to it.

That still doesn’t guarantee your internet will stay up. The network equipment outside your home can also be affected by power cuts or storm damage. Backup power keeps your side of the connection alive; it can’t fix a fault elsewhere.

Be South African; Make a Plan:

Keep it simple:

  • Know where the torch and charged power bank are.
  • Check which plugs or circuits your backup system supports.
  • Make sure both the router and ONT can run from backup power.
  • Move electronics off the floor if water could get in.
  • Keep everyone away from fallen or low-hanging cables. Treat them as live and report them.

A backup system isn’t automatically sized to run everything in the house. What stays on depends on the system and the circuits connected to it. Decide what matters most: lights, Wi-Fi, the fridge, or all three if the system allows.

Finally; just let the storm do its thing:0

The Highveld storm will arrive when it arrives. The sky will turn dramatic, the dog will make a questionable decision about which bed to hide under, and someone will still leave washing outside.

But with a charged phone, a checked forecast and backup power for your internet equipment, you can avoid adding “why is the router dead?” to the afternoon’s entertainment.

Explore Solar and Backup through Vox and check Vox Weather before the next storm rolls in. The sock heading towards Midrand is on its own.