The Xweather Lightning Network

The world's most accurate lightning detection network is the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN), a precision network operated by Vaisala Xweather that covers the contiguous United States. The NLDN's sensors pinpoint lightning hundreds of kilometers away with a median location accuracy of just 84 meters—less than the length of a football field.

For global coverage, the world's most consistently accurate long-range detection network is the GLD360 network, also operated by Vasiala Xweather. Its long-range sensors detect lightning up to 10,000 kilometers away, over both land and sea, with an average location accuracy of 1 kilometer.

Contrary to common assumption, having sensors closely grouped around a single location doesn't improve accuracy. Lightning sensors positioned too close to a strike can experience degraded data quality and are more susceptible to timing errors. Sensors located far from the strike receive cleaner radio signals, improving precision. Vaisala's proprietary technology, accurate to 330 billionths of a second, can deliver pinpoint accuracy from sensors up to 700 miles away. This wide-area approach also provides critical operational resilience—sensors positioned far from severe weather conditions avoid the service interruptions that often impact localized systems.

Beyond location accuracy, Vaisala's networks excel at detection efficiency. The NLDN and GLD360 networks detect 99.9% of thunderstorms worldwide and record more than two billion lightning events every year. That's 5–10 times more than any other network or technology. The networks can also distinguish between in-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning with 85–95% classification accuracy, and even identify strikes with the highest potential to cause damage or start fires.