UK / LIVE REGIONAL FEED

Lightning Map Edinburgh — Live Flash Detections

Live Edinburgh lightning map showing lightning flashes detected across the Lothians and the Firth of Forth 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 Edinburgh, Scotland, 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. Edinburgh sees convective lightning mainly during warm summer air surges crossing the Border or drifting over the Firth of Forth.

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 EDINBURGH

What thunderstorms near Edinburgh usually look like

Thunder is an occasional visitor to Edinburgh rather than a regular one. The city's most lightning-prone situation is a warm, humid airmass pushing north over the Border hills in summer, which can bring thundery rain to the Lothians overnight. The Firth of Forth plays its own part: in autumn and winter, showers in cold air crossing the relatively warmer water sometimes turn thundery as they come ashore in Fife and East Lothian. The Pentlands and the Lammermuirs can also trigger isolated afternoon cells. With the Forth, the Borders and part of the North Sea inside this viewport, an approaching storm is normally visible on the map before it clears the high ground around the city.

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

NEARBY CITIES

Lightning maps near Edinburgh

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

Glasgow lightning map Scotland

The Clyde Valley is sheltered from some easterly storms but regularly catches active Atlantic fronts and the shower bands that follow them.

Open the Glasgow map → Newcastle lightning map England

Thunderstorms around Newcastle upon Tyne are usually tied to vigorous cold fronts or to showers coming in off the North Sea on an easterly wind.

Open the Newcastle map → Leeds lightning map England

West Yorkshire convection often begins along the eastern slopes of the Pennines, bringing lightning to Leeds, Bradford and the Aire Valley.

Open the Leeds 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

Edinburgh, Scotland Lightning Map FAQ

Is this Edinburgh, Scotland 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 Edinburgh, Scotland lightning map show?

It plots recent satellite-detected lightning flashes inside the Edinburgh, Scotland 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 Edinburgh right now?

Open the live map above. It shows lightning flashes detected by the EUMETSAT Meteosat Third Generation Lightning Imager across Edinburgh 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 Edinburgh?

No. Always consult the Met Office for official thunderstorm warnings and severe weather guidance in Edinburgh and Scotland. 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 Edinburgh, Scotland lightning map Live alerts