/lightning
The lightning endpoint delivers near real-time, high-resolution global lightning strike data—including type, location, and intensity. Up to 1,000 events from the past 5 minutes within a 100 km radius.
Lightning data
The Xweather lightning data is built on real detection infrastructure, backed by a proprietary global network with decades of operational use across aviation, defense, and national weather services.
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40% of Fortune 100 rely on Xweather
We know when lightning strikes
Reliable real-time lightning data
The Xweather weather API delivers real-time and historical lightning strike data through dedicated lightning endpoints, powered by a proprietary global detection network with over 40 years of operational history.
Easy integration, advanced geospatial capabilities, and from historical lightning to real-time strike detection and forecasting, our lightning API endpoints power weather-sensitive applications and solutions.
2 billion lightning events yearly
We detect the precise time and location of over 2 billion lightning events every year.
40 years of lightning detection
Backed by the longest-running lightning detection infrastructure in the world.
99.99% uptime
24 hours a day without the need to purchase or maintain additional equipment or systems.
84 m median accuracy
84 m median accuracy with precision network and 1 km globally.
Lightning endpoints
/lightning/flash
The lightning/flash endpoint provides real-time data on individual lightning flashes, with precise metadata for location, intensity, and strike type. Each flash includes timestamp, location, type (cloud-to-ground or intracloud), polarity, and peak amperage. Up to 24 hours and 50,000 events.
/lightning/threats
The lightning/threats endpoint identifies and tracks active lightning hazard zones, providing real-time polygons identifying threat zones classified as new, persistent, dissipating, or cleared, based on ongoing lightning activity and storm trajectory.
/lightning/analytics
The lightning/analytics endpoint provides aggregated lightning statistics over time and space, enabling long-term analysis, risk assessment, and planning. Counts and densities of lightning activity over time, broken down by type, polarity, and intensity.
/lightning/summary
The lightning summary endpoint delivers a real-time, global snapshot of recent lightning activity for quick assessments and situational awareness of lightning pulses and strikes from the past 24 hours.
Visualize lightning data with our mapping libraries
MapsGL
MapsGL leverages WebGL for smooth, data-encrypted weather animations. The visually impressive mapping layers are optimized for low-bandwidth use and are highly customizable.
Raster Maps
Raster Maps is a tile-mapping tool ideal for still-image weather visualizations, offering 100+ layers compatible with basemap providers such as Mapbox, Google Maps, and Leaflet.
Xweather Live
Explore real-time lightning strikes, wildfire boundaries, road weather data, and more, in Xweather's browser-based weather app. Xweather Live gives you a view of what's possible with our maps and API.
Start building
Bring lightning data to your applications
Built for weather-sensitive use cases and applications
RESTful service providing precise global lightning data
Seamless integration into web, native, or mobile applications
Precise lightning strike location, polarity, peak current, classification, and timing
Low-latency delivery for operational alerting and automated decision-making
Example request
Response
Integrations made easy
Output formats
Request data in the format that fits your stack. Control exactly which fields come back and in what order. Output formats include JSON, GeoJSON, CSV, and TSV.
MCP server
Integrate lightning data into AI workflows through the Xweather MCP server. Query, analyze, and act on lightning intelligence within automated decision systems.
Your full weather stack
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Weather API
The most unique datasets in the market, backed by high-resolution, real-time data from a globally distributed proprietary infrastructure.
Integration tools
Start building today
Access lightning endpoints in the Weather API and Maps subscription, with access to all endpoints, and to high-resolution lightning visuals via Raster Maps and MapsGL.
Related resources
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Frequently asked questions
Xweather Lightning API covers real-time lightning strike detection, strike location and time, strike intensity, and historical lightning datasets for analysis and modeling.