Lightning Chart

Monitoring lightning strikes

The Atlas Lightning Detection Sensor (optional component) allows you to identify and monitor the presence of potentially dangerous lightning strikes as far as 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, more than twice the distance before you can start to hear thunder, giving you more time to prepare for the oncoming storm.

The lightning detector system will not provide a perfect count of actual lightning strikes with perfect distance estimates. In most cases, the system will be rather accurate, but there will always be a few discrepancies. The Atlas lightning detector system should be used for general safety and lightning awareness.

How does it work?

The Atlas lightning detector system uses a radio that listens for lightning at 500 KHz, it listens for a particular radio signal pattern. The lightning signal pattern is generated by the electrical “spark” that is the lightning itself. The system can be susceptible to detecting erroneous lightning strikes. The same signal “spark” can be artificially generated by many different man-made sources - including radio towers, power plants, garage door motors, the ignition system on a car, starting an electrical motor, flipping a light switch and more.

The system does utilize filters to isolate and reduce as many errors as possible, but some “erroneous” signals will still get through. If the filter system was designed to be more robust and more discriminating, it would also be less sensitive to lightning and may not pick up the small distance strikes.

Lightning strike count

The Lightning Detection Sensor tracks the amount of lightning strikes detected during a storm, allowing you to monitor detailed conditions and better understand the risks and impact.

Lightning strike distance

With an estimated distance to each detected strike, you have a clearer picture of the risks of lightning strikes in your actual location, helping you better evaluate the danger and distance to the storm.