Windy.com, the renowned global weather forecasting platform, has announced a significant partnership with German company Nowcast.de to offer nearly real-time lightning forecasts worldwide. This collaboration integrates advanced LINET (Lightning Network) detection technology into Windy.com’s meteorological layers, enhancing its popular features, including meteor radar and satellite imagery. The partnership with Nowcast.de broadens the platform’s lightning data coverage, replacing the previous source from Blitzortung, which had limited global reach.

Users of Windy.com can now access almost real-time lightning strike data on a global scale, with only minor exceptions in oceanic regions. The lightning strikes are displayed on the map with minimal delay, ranging from seconds to tens of seconds between the actual strike and its appearance on Windy.com. This functionality holds immense value for various outdoor activities, both recreational and professional. Users can access this feature through Windy.com’s website or its mobile applications, which are available for download from the App Store and Google Play.

In addition to the introduction of lightning forecasts, Windy.com has introduced other notable features. One such feature is the prediction of fire risks worldwide, presented through two distinct layers. The “Fire Spread” layer provides an interactive map displaying six levels of fire spread risk based on the Canadian Fire Weather Index methodology. This methodology takes into account variables such as temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, and wind conditions to assess fire spread risk. The second layer, “Fuel Moisture,” predicts the likelihood of fire ignition by indicating the water content in the underlying fuel. Lower fuel moisture levels increase the chances of fire occurrence. Normal values for fuel moisture range from 1% to 35%, with values below 15% indicating elevated fire risks and values below 6% posing a potential danger of extreme fires.

These new layers play a pivotal role in fire prevention and raising public awareness. The fire risk forecast is available up to 10 days in advance, and both layers are accessible to all users without the need for login or registration.

The implementation and global expansion of these features are driven by Windy.com’s dedicated team, with scientific expertise provided by the CzechGlobe research institute, affiliated with the Academy of Sciences. CzechGlobe, renowned for projects like Intersucho and FireRisk, ensures the accuracy and reliability of the fire risk forecasts.

Windy.com, developed by Ivo Lukačovič and supported by Seznam.cz, stands as a leading weather forecasting platform offering advanced capabilities through more than ten numerical models and over 60 maps. With its comprehensive weather data coverage and the recent additions of real-time lightning forecasts and fire risk predictions, Windy.com continues to be an indispensable tool for users worldwide.

Article by Prague Forum