The UK Government has published official guidance on what to do in the event of a radiation emergency, such as a nuclear attack, listing three actions to take "straight away": go inside, stay inside, and tune in.
What the Government Advises
The guidance, which applies to any radiation emergency, instructs people to "go indoors and stay there," closing windows and doors and staying away from outside walls. It adds that staying inside protects from radiation, advising people to turn off fans and air conditioning and to be prepared to remain indoors for one or two days.
People are also told to check the news for official advice, which may be given on the radio, television, internet, social media or by the police, with further information posted online at GOV.UK. The emergency services may advise evacuation, but the Government stresses: "Only leave if you are told to. Going outside might mean your body gets more radiation."
Nuclear Weapons and Their Effects
The official advice refers to a "radiation emergency," giving accidents at nuclear power stations or during transport of radioactive material as examples, while noting these incidents are rare. However, nuclear weapons also produce deadly radiation that lasts longer and spreads wider than the initial blast.
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) describes nuclear weapons as "the most destructive, inhumane and indiscriminate weapons ever created," stating that a single bomb over a large city could kill millions. It details the effects of a detonation: a fireball reaching maximum size in 10 seconds, an enormous shockwave, thermal radiation vaporizing everything near ground zero, and a firestorm that could kill even those in underground shelters.
Current Threat Level
NATO has said Russia is growing increasingly reckless, and the UK's most senior soldier, Sir Richard Knighton, said the threat from Russia meant Britain was living through the "most dangerous" period of his 35-year career. The UK Government has begun updating its "war book," which had not been updated in decades, according to the BBC.
One expert told the BBC that "it's not the tanks you need to worry about — it's the cutting of cables on the ocean floor, it's the hacking into systems on which so many things depend." Professor Anthony Glees of the University of Buckingham said the list of attacks and drone overflights believed to have been launched against the UK by Russia grows daily, and that NATO chiefs are convinced Putin knows that crossing into NATO territory would trigger Article 5 and risk a nuclear war he cannot win.
