Lightning API
real-time flashes around a pointAsk “is there lightning near this place right now?” and get the number of flashes, the closest one with its distance and age, and a simple storm-overhead flag.
Pro plan · $49 a month, 200,000 calls a dayRequest
curl -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY" \ "https://atmoatlas.com/api/v1/lightning?lat=25.8&lon=-80.2&radius=300"
const res = await fetch("https://atmoatlas.com/api/v1/lightning?lat=25.8&lon=-80.2&radius=300", { headers: { "X-API-Key": "YOUR_KEY" } }); const data = await res.json();
import requests r = requests.get("https://atmoatlas.com/api/v1/lightning", params={"lat": "25.8", "lon": "-80.2", "radius": "300"}, headers={"X-API-Key": "YOUR_KEY"}) data = r.json()
Your key goes in the X-API-Key header.
Response
{
"radius_km": 300, "window_minutes": 15,
"coverage": "Americas, Atlantic & Pacific (GOES field of view)",
"in_coverage": true, "data_age_minutes": 2.3,
"strike_count": 2, "activity": "low", "strike_rate_per_min": 0.1,
"storm_overhead": false,
"nearest_strike": { "distance_km": 132.4, "minutes_ago": 5.7, "lat": 26.976, "lon": -80.41 },
"recent_strikes": [ ... ],
"source": "NOAA GOES-19/18 GLM (Geostationary Lightning Mapper, public domain)"
}Real response for Miami (radius 300 km) on 3 November 2026.
Coverage and source
- Coverage
- Americas, Atlantic and Pacific (GOES field of view)
- Refresh
- Every minute; data usually 1 to 3 minutes old
- Search area
- Radius up to 500 km, last 1 to 20 minutes
- Source
- NOAA GOES-19/18 Geostationary Lightning Mapper (public domain)
What the response contains
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
strike_count / strike_rate_per_min | Flashes in the radius and window, and the rate per minute. |
activity | none, low, moderate, high or extreme. |
nearest_strike | Distance in km, minutes ago and position of the closest flash. |
storm_overhead | true when lightning is very close to the point. |
recent_strikes | The latest flashes with distance, age and position. |
in_coverage / data_age_minutes | Whether the point is under the satellite and how fresh the data is. |
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
lat / lon | float | Latitude and longitude. Required. |
radius | float | Radius in km, up to 500 (50 if omitted). |
window | int | How many minutes back to look, up to 20 (15 if omitted). |
What people build with it
Golf courses and outdoor venues
Stop play or clear a stand when a strike comes within a set distance.
Pools, beaches and camps
Trigger the “out of the water” rule automatically.
Field crews and utilities
Pause work on towers, roofs and lines while storms are near.
Drones and events
Add a live lightning check to a pre-flight or pre-show list.
Frequently asked questions
Does it cover Europe?
Not yet: the GOES satellites see the Americas, the Atlantic and the Pacific. Outside that area in_coverage is false.
How fresh is the data?
New flashes arrive every minute; data_age_minutes tells you the exact age.
Which plan do I need?
Lightning is part of the Pro plan. You can test the rest of the API on the free plan first.
Try it with your own key
Create an account in a minute: the key arrives straight away, and the same key opens every other dataset.