This text is part of the Weather Preparedness & Resilience Toolbox developed by the YOUROPE Event Safety (YES) Group within YOUROPE’s 3F project (Future-Fit Festivals). It is aimed at everyone involved in planning, building, and operating open-air events. It helps festivals and other outdoor events become truly weather-ready by offering both practical and research-based resources as well as background information on weather and climate. Learn how to design safer and more weather-resilient outdoor events.
Risk Assessment Template – Example: Thunderstorm
Risk assessments for events must always be individual, site-specific, and phase-specific. Weather hazards such as thunderstorms do not pose a generic risk; their actual impact depends on local topography, site layout, structures, audience composition, operational procedures, and the current phase of the event (build-up, ingress, show, egress, breakdown).
A template can never replace professional judgment or a site-specific assessment. However, a well-designed template provides a structured starting point:
- it ensures that no relevant risk dimension is overlooked,
- it supports consistency across events or event editions,
- and it helps translate weather information into operational decisions.
The following template is therefore intended as a working framework, which must be adapted, expanded, and validated for each individual event.
Risk Assessment Template
Hazard: Thunderstorm (Lightning, Wind, Heavy Rain)
1. General Information
| Item | Description |
| Event name | |
| Event location | |
| Date(s) | |
| Event phase(s) covered | ☐ Build-up ☐ Ingress ☐ Event operation ☐ Egress ☐ Breakdown |
| Assessor | |
| Date of assessment | |
| Linked documents | Weather monitoring plan, Emergency plan, Show-Stop procedure |
2. Hazard Description
Hazard type: Thunderstorm, including:
- cloud-to-ground lightning
- strong gusts and squalls
- heavy rainfall and local flooding
- rapid weather changes with limited lead time
3. Site-Specific Exposure Analysis
| Aspect | Site-specific considerations, for example |
| Terrain and topography | Flat / sloped / enclosed / wind channels |
| Drainage and ground conditions | Soil type, drainage capacity, known weak areas |
| Temporary structures | Stages, towers, tents, lighting, video walls |
| Permanent structures | Buildings, shelters, grounded installations |
| Trees and vegetation | Falling branches, lightning exposure |
| Electrical systems | Power distribution, grounding, redundancy |
| Audience profile | Density, mobility, alcohol consumption, families |
| Access and egress | Width, surface, bottlenecks, lighting |
4. Affected Event Phases
| Phase | Relevance, for example |
| Build-up | ☐ Working at height ☐ Crane use ☐ Temporary incomplete structures |
| Ingress | ☐ Crowd exposure ☐ Limited shelter ☐ Increasing density |
| Event operation | ☐ Maximum exposure ☐ Show-stop decisions ☐ Communication |
| Egress | ☐ Reduced lighting ☐ Muddy surfaces ☐ Crowd impatience |
| Breakdown | ☐ Fatigue ☐ Working at height ☐ Weather pressure |
5. Risk Identification
| Risk scenario | Potential consequences |
| Lightning strike near crowd | Injury or fatality, flight reaction |
| Wind load on temporary structures | Structural failure, collapse |
| Heavy rain | Slips, falls, ground instability |
| Electrical failure | Loss of lighting, sound, communication |
| Sudden show interruption | Crowd movement, behavioural risks |
6. Existing Control Measures
| Category | Measures already in place, for example |
| Monitoring | Weather service, radar access, lightning detection |
| Technical | Structural calculations, wind load limits |
| Organisational | Show-stop procedure, decision hierarchy |
| Communication | PA system, staff briefings, audience messaging |
| Training | Staff awareness, drills, table-top exercises |
7. Risk Evaluation (Example Matrix)
| Risk | Likelihood | Severity | Risk level |
| Lightning injury | Medium | Very high | High |
| Stage instability | Low–Medium | High | Medium–High |
| Slip and fall | High | Medium | Medium |
ATTENTION: Matrix and scales must be defined consistently across the event safety concept.
8. Additional Mitigation Measures Required
| Measure | Responsible | Trigger |
| Lower wind thresholds for structures | Technical director | Forecast update |
| Early audience information | Event control | Thunderstorm watch |
| Pre-defined shelter areas | Safety manager | Lightning within X km |
| Controlled show interruption | Event director | Defined trigger values |
9. Decision Triggers and Thresholds
| Parameter | Threshold | Action |
| Lightning distance | e.g. ≤ 8 km | Suspend performance |
| Wind gusts | e.g. ≥ 20 m/s | Secure / evacuate structures |
| Rain intensity | e.g. ≥ 20 mm/h | Monitor ground stability |
| Forecast confidence | High probability | Pre-emptive measures |
10. Residual Risk Evaluation
| Risk after controls | Acceptable? | Notes |
| Lightning exposure | ☐ Yes ☐ No | |
| Structural safety | ☐ Yes ☐ No | |
| Crowd behaviour | ☐ Yes ☐ No |
11. Review and Update
| Item | Description |
| Review frequency | Continuous during event |
| Update triggers | Weather updates, site changes |
| Documentation | Log decisions and rationale |
Final Note
This template provides structure, not certainty.
Thunderstorms are dynamic hazards; effective risk management depends on:
- early recognition,
- clear decision authority,
- predefined thresholds,
- and disciplined execution under time pressure.
Every event must adapt this template to its specific site, audience, infrastructure, and operational reality.