Lightning map
The map shows the lightning discharges (ground and cloud lightning) of the past 5 minutes with the following symbols:
- ground lightning (discharges between clouds and earth)
- cloud lightning (discharges within thunderclouds)
In addition, the colour scale (see legend) shows the lightning density per km² of the current day.
How does the lightning detection system work?
Managed by Météorage in Western Europe, the lightning detection network consists of 17 sensors located homogeneously throughout Italy. The network works continuously and in real time: it is constantly scanning electromagnetic field variations created by lightning. As soon as a radio frequency signature from an atmospheric discharge is detected by the sensors, the corresponding measurements are transmitted to two independent and redundant calculators, which will accurately pinpoint the discharge via a combination of triangulation and time-difference-of arrival techniques. Some additional features are also calculated, such as the dating, polarity and peak intensity of the current, as well as the type of cloud-to-ground or intra-cloud discharge.
Lightning system accuracy
The Météorage network is capable of detecting 98% of cloud-to-ground strikes with a median accuracy of 100 metres throughout Western Europe. The technology provided by Météorage is the only one for which the performances have been tested through experiments and third-party verifications, supported by scientific publications of international value.
