UK / LIVE REGIONAL FEED

Lightning Map Cardiff — Live Flash Detections

Live Cardiff lightning map showing lightning flashes detected across South Wales and the Bristol Channel 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 Cardiff, Wales, 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. The Welsh capital regularly sees lightning from storm systems moving north-east across the Bristol Channel and the Glamorgan coast.

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 CARDIFF

What thunderstorms near Cardiff usually look like

Cardiff gets a good share of the storms that travel up the Bristol Channel, and its position between the water and the South Wales Valleys shapes what happens next. Systems coming in from the Celtic Sea reach the Glamorgan coast first, then run into rising ground behind the city, where they often slow down and rain harder. That is why the heaviest totals in a South Wales thunderstorm frequently fall in the valleys rather than on the coast. The viewport takes in Pembrokeshire, the Brecon Beacons and the Somerset coast, so a storm approaching from the south-west is usually detected well before it crosses Cardiff Bay.

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

NEARBY CITIES

Lightning maps near Cardiff

Compare lightning detections in neighbouring areas, or go back to the Wales lightning map or the UK lightning 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 → Plymouth lightning map England

On the South West peninsula, Plymouth is often among the first English cities reached by storms tracking up the English Channel and in from the Atlantic.

Open the Plymouth 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 → London lightning map England

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.

Open the London 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

Cardiff, Wales Lightning Map FAQ

Is this Cardiff, Wales 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 Cardiff, Wales lightning map show?

It plots recent satellite-detected lightning flashes inside the Cardiff, Wales 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 Cardiff right now?

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

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