UK / LIVE REGIONAL FEED

UK Lightning Map — Live Strikes

Live UK lightning map showing recent thunderstorm strikes across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland from EUMETSAT Meteosat Third Generation Lightning Imager data.

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Bolts show recent EUMETSAT Meteosat Third Generation Lightning Imager detections. Locations are approximate; provider and display latency vary. Lime = newest, red = 1-6h, grey = older.
COVERAGE / HONESTY

What This Map Covers

Map viewport covers United Kingdom and nearby waters. It displays recent optical lightning flashes supplied by Meteosat Third Generation Lightning Imager.

Satellite optical detection is not ground-strike classification, rainfall radar, or a complete archive. Visibility and processing conditions can affect detections. This is not a Met Office product and carries no warning status.

Safety limit: absence of a marker never proves outdoor safety. Satellite detections can be delayed or missed, and storms move between refreshes.

REGIONAL READ

Lightning Across United Kingdom by Region

One map, one viewport. These notes explain what the feed usually looks like over each area.

South East England and London

The most frequently active part of the UK for summer thunderstorms. Plumes of warm continental air moving up from France often trigger overnight and early-morning storms here before anywhere else in the country.

East Anglia and the Midlands

Inland heating on hot days can set off slow-moving afternoon storms. Flash clusters here tend to sit over one area rather than track quickly, which is why totals can look concentrated.

South West England and Wales

Storms often arrive from the Atlantic or the Bay of Biscay and come ashore over Cornwall, Devon, and the Welsh coast. Activity over the Channel or Irish Sea shows on the map before it reaches land.

Northern England and Scotland

Thunderstorms are less frequent than in the south and are usually tied to frontal systems or the heavy showers behind them. Winter thundersnow and squall-line activity can appear over the North Sea and western coasts.

Northern Ireland

Activity is generally lower and usually associated with Atlantic frontal systems crossing from the south west. Detections often appear over the Irish Sea and coastal waters first.

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FIELD NOTES

United Kingdom Lightning Map FAQ

Is this United Kingdom lightning map live?

The map requests recent flashes from EUMETSAT Meteosat Third Generation Lightning Imager. It refreshes while open, but network, satellite processing, and public-feed delays can occur.

What does the United Kingdom lightning map show?

It plots recent satellite-detected lightning flashes inside the United Kingdom regional viewport. It is a lightning-detection layer, not precipitation radar and not a forecast of the next strike.

Can I use this map instead of an official weather warning?

No. Use official United Kingdom weather warnings and local emergency guidance. If you hear thunder, move into a substantial building or hard-topped vehicle and wait 30 minutes after the last thunder.

Is there lightning in the UK right now?

Open the live map above. It plots lightning flashes detected over the United Kingdom and surrounding waters by the EUMETSAT Meteosat Third Generation Lightning Imager, refreshed while the page is open. An empty map means no recent detections in the feed, not a guarantee that no storm is developing.

Does this replace the Met Office thunderstorm warning?

No. The Met Office issues the official UK weather warnings and is the source to follow for thunderstorm risk, yellow or amber warnings, and safety guidance. This map shows where flashes have already been detected, which is a different question from what is forecast.

Why does the UK map use a different satellite than the US map?

The NOAA GOES East and West Geostationary Lightning Mappers cover the Americas and cannot see the UK. European coverage comes from the Meteosat Third Generation Lightning Imager operated by EUMETSAT, so the UK map requests only that source and attributes it explicitly.

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