It may feel safe and cosy inside your spacecraft, but it's just as well to be aware of the dangers of weather in space. Here we compare conditions on planets with familiar problems on Earth.

Dust storms

On Earth:

Threats to life from:

• Suffocation due to dust inhalation.

• Extremely low visibility on roads and in the air, leading to loss of orientation and high likelihood of accidents.

Survival strategies:

• Don't panic!

• Avoid driving or flying in dust storms if at all possible.

• If caught in a dust storm while driving, get off the road. Turn off driving lights and turn on emergency flashers.

• If you're out in the open with a dust storm coming your way, lie down with your back to the wind, and cover your head with your clothes to keep dust out of your eyes, nose, mouth and ears.

• If possible, wear protective clothing and breathing equipment.

On Mars:

In the severe dust storms on Mars, an added risk is the build-up of static which makes electrical equipment malfunction and causes dust to cling to the outer surfaces of your spacesuit.

Spacesuit malfunction puts an astronaut's life at immediate risk. The next generation of space suits will need to be designed to cope with the extreme conditions in the middle of a Martian dust devil or dust storm.

Hurricanes

On Earth:

Threats to life, property, power and communications systems from:

• Winds up to 200mph (320kph).

• Tornadoes developing outside the region of hurricane force winds.

• Up to 10 inches (25cm) of rainfall in 24 hours, leading to heavy flooding.

• Storm sea surges - 16ft (5m) tall storm surge which sweeps ashore as the hurricane makes landfall.

Survival strategies:

• Don't panic!

• The best strategy is to leave the risk area before the hurricane arrives.

• If you stay put, stay indoors and away from windows, skylights and glass doors. If you don't have a cellar or underground storm shelter, find the most protected area in the house and stay there till the storm passes.

• Remember there might be two storm surges, with the storm's calm eye separating them.

• If an evacuation is ordered, all mobile home residents must leave if they are at risk from the hurricane.

On Jupiter, Neptune and Saturn:

It is unlikely that humans will ever be able to venture into the great spots on Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune. If they could, it's even more unlikely they would survive once they entered these giant storms.

Thunderstorms

On Earth:

Threats to life, property, transport, power and communications systems from:

• Lightning strike.

• Strong updraughts and downbursts which create hazardous conditions for aircraft landing, taking off and in normal flight.

• Flash floods.

• Hail.

Survival strategies:

• Don't panic!

• The chances of being struck and killed by lightning are about 1 in 600,000 (you're 50 times more likely to be hit and killed by a road vehicle).

• If you're caught in a thunderstorm, the best strategy is to get inside the nearest building. And you're better off inside a car than out in the open.

• Avoid flying through thunderstorms, unless you have an armoured T-28 research plane at your disposal!

• Where there's a risk of flash flooding, head for high ground as fast as you can.

• Take shelter from hail anywhere you can. If you're on the road, it's safest to stay in the car.

On Jupiter:

It is unlikely that humans will ever be able to venture into the vast thunderstorms on Jupiter (and perhaps on Neptune and Saturn). If they could, they would face almost certain death from immensely powerful lightning discharges.

Tornadoes

On Earth:

Threats to life, property, power and communication systems from:

• Winds up to 300mph (500kph).

• Powerful updraughts.

• A sudden drop in air pressure.

• Flying debris.

Survival strategies:

• Don't panic!

• The best defence is to get to an underground tornado shelter.

• If you can't get to a tornado shelter, find the most protected area in the building and stay there till the storm passes.

• If you are in a car or a mobile home, get out before the tornado arrives and seek shelter in the nearest strong building.

On Jupiter, Neptune and Saturn:

No one knows for sure whether tornadoes exist on these planets, but if they do, you'd better watch out - it's unlikely that anyone could survive them.

Space weather

On Earth:

We are protected from most of the risks of space weather by the Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field, which deflect the high-energy particles that make up the solar wind.

But the space weather storms emerging from solar flares can interfere with communication systems and shut down power supplies.

They also pose a small additional hazard if you're a passenger or crew member crew in high-altitude aircraft, and can affect global navigation systems like GPS.

On Mars:

Mars's thin atmosphere means there are direct risks to astronauts from the solar wind and from space weather storms. The high energy particles pose a direct hazard to health, and it's crucial that space suits provide good protection when astronauts are outside the spacecraft.

In space:

Space weather storms can 'charge-up' a spacecraft, and result in structural damage and possible disruption of power and control systems. Both pose serious risks to astronauts on manned craft. Take care.

Top