The World Meteorological Organization thunder hour essential variable integrates global lightning observations from multiple ground- and space-based instruments (owned publicly and commercially) into a single variable that can be monitored from any platform. These datasets allow for long term study of lightning activity across the globe and serves as a proxy for global convection, or “storminess,” which is otherwise difficult to monitor at a global scale.
The first observations come from the World Wide Lightning Location Network on January 1, 2013, and the additional instruments with data extend the record through December 31, 2024. New data from available instruments will be added annually.
Cite the Collection
Virts, Katrina, S. Goodman, R. Said. 2025. Global Thunder Hour Collection [indicate instrument and subset used]. Data available online [https://earthdata.nasa.gov/centers/ghrc-daac] from the NASA EOSDIS Global Hydrometeorology Resource Center Distributed Active Archive Center, Huntsville, Alabama, U.S.A. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.5067/GLOBALTH/DATA101.
General Characteristics
| Project | World Meteorological Organization |
|---|---|
| Platforms | Ground Stations, GOES-16, -17, -18, and -19, International Space Station, Orbview-1, and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission |
| Sensors/Instruments | OTD, LIS, GLM, WWLLN, ENTLN, GLD360 |
| Parameters | Lightning Thunder Hours |
| Processing Level | 3 |
| Formats | netCDF, mp4, png |
| Location | Global |
| Spatial Resolution | 0.05 degrees latitude by 0.05 degrees longitude |
| Boundaries (note: will vary by individual instrument) | North: 90.0 South: -90.0 West: -180.0 East: 180.0 |
| Temporal Resolution | Hourly |
| Start Date | January 1, 2013
|
| Stop Date | December 31, 2024
|