A few years back, Colchester Parks and Recreation purchased a lightning prediction system for use at the Recreation Complex. The goal of the system was to alert park visitors when the conditions were right for lightning, and give them the opportunity to leave the premises before ever even seeing lightning of hearing a clap of thunder.
Once in a while the system would give what appeared to be a false positive. The warning horns would go off, yet lightning would not arrive. On other occasions, lightning would move in with the horn never having sounded. After a few years of this, the system has become akin to the boy who cried wolf, with dangerous consequences. Some people would hear the horn and ignore it, putting themselves in possible danger. In other instances, even when people saw lightning and heard the thunder, they would remain on site since they hadn’t heard a warning horn.
Park Rules:
To enhance the enjoyment of all users of the park, there are just a few important rules:
- No alcohol or smoking is permitted in the park.
- All dogs must be leashed and curbed.
- Additional signage must be obeyed.