The Lightning Strike Density maps highlight the location of lightning cores and trends of increasing and decreasing activity. The maps depict the density of lightning strikes, cloud-to-ground strikes, cloud-to-ground flash information and survey level cloud lightning information during a 15-minute time period at an 8 x 8 km (5 x 5 mile) horizontal resolution observed by ground-based lightning detection networks. These networks include the U.S. National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) and the Global Lightning Detection Network (GLD360). The lightning strike density maps cover the geographic area from 25 degrees South to 80 degrees North latitude and from 110 degrees East to 0 degrees West longitude. The map units are the number of strikes per square km per minute multiplied by a scaling factor of 10^3. The strike density is color coded using a color scheme which allows the data to be easily seen when overlaid on weather satellite imagery and to distinguish areas of low- and high- density values. The maps are updated approximately every 15 minutes. The lightning strike density data is obtained from the NWS/NCEP/Ocean Prediction Center. The data is considered a derived product or Level 5 product (NOAA-generated products using lightning data as input but not displaying the contractor (Vaisala) transmitted provided lightning data) and is appropriate for public distribution. The purpose of this product is to provide mariners and others with enhanced awareness of developing and transitory thunderstorm activity to give users the ability to determine whether a cloud system is producing lightning and if that activity is increasing or decreasing.

Tags

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Map Type

Web Map Service (WMS)

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Map Source

https://nowcoast.noaa.gov/geoserver/observations/lightning_detection/ows?SERVICE=WMS&VERSION=1.3.0&REQUEST=GetCapabilities?request=GetCapabilities&service=WMS

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Attribution

NOAA nowCOAST