Question 1

What is Storm Live Watch?

Accepted Answer

Storm Live Watch (stormlive.watch) is a free, real-time worldwide map of lightning strikes, precipitation and cloud cover. Storms are visible as they happen, updated every 10 seconds, on a hand-drawn vintage parchment basemap.

Question 2

Where does the lightning data come from?

Accepted Answer

Lightning strikes are sourced from the Blitzortung.org community network for Europe, Asia and Oceania, and from NOAA GOES-19 GLM (Geostationary Lightning Mapper) satellite for the Americas.

Question 3

Is Storm Live Watch really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Storm Live Watch is free, has no advertising, requires no signup and collects no personal data. It's a personal non-commercial project.

Question 4

How often is the map updated?

Accepted Answer

Lightning strikes appear within a few seconds of detection. Rain radar refreshes every 5 minutes, cloud cover every 10 minutes.

Question 5

Can I install Storm Live Watch on my phone?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Storm Live Watch is a Progressive Web App (PWA). On iPhone, use Safari's Share menu → Add to Home Screen. On Android, Chrome will prompt to install after a minute of use.

Question 6

Which languages does Storm Live Watch support?

Accepted Answer

The interface is available in 12 languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Hindi, Arabic and Korean. Language is auto-detected from your browser.

Storm Live Watch — Real-Time Worldwide Lightning & Storm Tracker

Live Lightning Data Sources

How to Use