Lightning Strike Data – Near Real-Time Sources

dataweather

I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions on sources of near real-time lightning strike data available for download? For example, Intellicast.com has a map of strikes, but makes no mention of the source of the data they used.

Key attributes would be date/time and lat/long (any additional is just bonus), and strikes that occurred as much as 24 hours previously are logged and available. It could be in a text/table form (which can be converted to a spatial table), but if it is in a GIS ready format, that would be great too.

I know of a couple of paid sources:

Other sources I have stumbled across:

  • blitzortung.org– I haven't figured out how to get the source strike data from the site
  • According to an 2007 blog entry, GuiWeather.com used to supply weather data to Google Earth, but the site is no longer active.

Is anyone aware of any other paid/free sources of lightning strike data?

UPDATE: Someone posted & deleted a good website for many resources of lightning data. The NWA Remote Sensing Committee. It provides a good overview of research and data providers, too.

Best Answer

EarthNetworks

Earth Networks Total Lightning NetworkTM (ENTLN)

"incorporates patent pending systems and methods for the detection of lightning activity to provide unmatched global IC and CG detection efficiency. It is the first integrated in-cloud (IC) lightning and cloud-to-ground (CG) detection network deployed on a global basis capable of detecting long range IC lightning at high efficiencies critical for the advanced prediction of severe weather phenomena such as:"

Tornadoes/cyclones
Heavy rainfall/monsoons
Downburst winds/wind shear
Cloud-to-Ground lightning strikes

'Approximately 600 wideband lightning sensors deployed globally' PDF http://www.earthnetworks.com/Portals/0/pdf/ENTLN%20Global%20Slick_v4.pdf

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