Exactly where you need to stay in your home if there is a nuclear strike
With uncertain times ahead of us, and plenty of people feeling weary after the recent attacks on Iran, so it's always useful to know the best advice for staying safe in your own home here in the UK in the very unlikely event the worst should happen.
The British Government suggests three-steps in the event of a nuclear strike on Britain – go in, stay in, tune in. In the event of a radiation emergency, there are a few simple steps you can take to ensure you and your family are as safe as possible.
When they advise you to 'go in', by this they mean if you have been made aware you're in close proximity to a radiation emergency, you must go indoors as quickly as possible.
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To enhance your safety, you should ensure all windows and doors are closed, and you're staying as far away from the external walls as you're able to.
The safest spot for you to be in is in the middle of the building, away from external doors, windows and walls. This is to "avoid exposure from any radioactive material that has collected on the outside of the building."
According to gov.uk, staying indoors helps to reduce your exposure to radiation. When inside, you should turn off all fans and air conditioning as well as close all exit points and windows and close up any air vents.
If you have been called to stay inside your homes, it may be the case that you need to stay indoors for up to one or two days.
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The government expects you to 'tune in' which means monitoring the news and following the official UK government advice for what steps to take next. These messages can keep you informed via the TV, radio, internet, social media or even the police.
A nuclear attack would result in an immediate radiation emergency, as it involves the release of materials emitting radiation. People can be exposed to this in a number of ways.
The government website lists: "Breathing in radioactive materials. Direct exposure to radioactive material carried in the air and deposited on surfaces, clothing or skin. Eating or drinking food or water contaminated with radioactive materials."
While it's important to take precautions, if you're ever caught in the crossfire of a nuclear attack and are in the direct vicinity, chances of survival are next to none.
The intense heat works to vaporise human tissue, and the radiation for those further out can still cause a slightly longer, more painful death.
Acute Radiation Syndrome is a result of this exposure, and the initial survivors may experience nausea, vomiting, headaches, and severe multi-organ failure. Of course this typically would end in death within a few days or weeks.
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament website states: "If a nuclear bomb were detonated, the heart of the nuclear explosion would reach a temperature of several million degrees centigrade. The resulting heat flash would literally vaporise all human tissue over a wide area.
"At Hiroshima, within a radius of half a mile, the only remains of most of the people caught in the open were their shadows burnt into stone."
It's predicted that in order to be safe from radiation and survive a major nuclear attack, you need to be at least 10 to 20 miles away from the explosion. For example, if an attack were to happen in central London, places such as St Albans, Brentwood and Windsor should face less radiation exposure.