UK / LIVE REGIONAL FEED

Lightning Map London — Live Flash Detections

Live London lightning map showing lightning flashes detected across Greater London and the Thames Valley by the EUMETSAT Meteosat Third Generation Lightning Imager.

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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 is centred on London, England, and takes in the surrounding region. It shows lightning flashes detected from space by the EUMETSAT Meteosat Third Generation Lightning Imager, a few minutes after each flash. Greater London and the Thames Valley see frequent summer thunderstorm activity, with warm plumes crossing the Channel from France and Spain setting off lightning quickly.

This is satellite optical lightning detection: it records total lightning as flashes, does not separate cloud-to-ground strikes from in-cloud flashes, and places each flash approximately rather than to the metre. It is not rainfall radar, not a forecast and not a complete storm archive. Thick cloud and processing conditions can cause flashes to be missed. This is not a Met Office product and carries no official warning status.

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

LIGHTNING AROUND LONDON

What thunderstorms near London usually look like

London's biggest thunderstorms are rarely made in London. They usually form over France or the Channel in warm, humid air and cross the coast of Kent and Sussex before reaching the capital, which is why they so often arrive late at night or before dawn and why the map lights up to the south-east first. A second, more local pattern shows up on hot afternoons, when the built-up area adds its own heat and storms fire over the Chilterns, the North Downs or the Thames Valley and drift across the suburbs. Because this viewport reaches well beyond the M25, you can usually see a storm approaching from the Channel or from the west before it is audible in central London — useful if you are on the river, in a park or on a building site.

The map records flashes that have already happened, not a forecast. For official thunderstorm warnings in England, follow the Met Office.

NEARBY CITIES

Lightning maps near London

Compare lightning detections in neighbouring areas, or go back to the England lightning map or the UK lightning map.

Birmingham lightning map England

The West Midlands urban heat island, combined with summer instability, often generates local slow-moving thunderstorms around Birmingham.

Open the Birmingham map → Bristol lightning map England

Bristol and the Severn Estuary often sit on the track of thunderstorms moving up the Bristol Channel from the Celtic Sea and the Bay of Biscay.

Open the Bristol map → Cardiff lightning map Wales

The Welsh capital regularly sees lightning from storm systems moving north-east across the Bristol Channel and the Glamorgan coast.

Open the Cardiff map → Manchester lightning map England

Sitting west of the Pennines, Manchester often sees thunderstorm bands triggered when Atlantic fronts meet higher ground.

Open the Manchester map →
RELATED INSTRUMENTS

Continue Your Lightning Check

LIVELightning radar

Understand detector data versus precipitation radar.

 ALERTLightning alerts

Choose a saved monitoring radius on your phone.

 SOURCEHow detection works

Source roles, refresh cadence, and stated limits.

SAFETYLightning safety

Know when to shelter and when to return outside.
FIELD NOTES

London, England Lightning Map FAQ

Is this London, England 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 London, England lightning map show?

It plots recent satellite-detected lightning flashes inside the London, England 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 Met Office thunderstorm 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 near London right now?

Open the live map above. It shows lightning flashes detected by the EUMETSAT Meteosat Third Generation Lightning Imager across London and the surrounding region, refreshing every few minutes while the page is open. An empty map means no recent detections in the feed, not an all-clear.

Does this replace official Met Office warnings in London?

No. Always consult the Met Office for official thunderstorm warnings and severe weather guidance in London and England. If you hear thunder, seek shelter immediately in a substantial building or enclosed vehicle.

Monitor a saved lightning radius on your phone.

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Free London, England lightning map Live alerts