HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT THE PREDICTWIND LIGHTNING TRACKER FEATURE YET?

Written by Suellen Hurling, PredictWind

SDSA members receive a 20% rebate on forecast subscriptions, for a new purchase or a renewal within a month of purchase.  Contact [email protected] with proof of SDSA membership.

If you haven’t explored the latest PredictWind innovation, now’s the time to get familiar with their brand-new real-time lightning tracker - a game-changing addition to their suite of weather forecasting tools, available to view now in the PredictWind app. Whether you’re a coastal cruiser, offshore adventurer, or weekend sailor, this new feature is all about keeping you safer and better informed out on the water. The PredictWind Lightning Tracker offers near-global lightning detection, utilising an advanced network of sensors spread across more than 100 countries from remote land masses to vast stretches of ocean.

But what makes this lightning tracker feature truly remarkable is its attention to detail. It doesn’t just show that lightning is happening - it gives you actionable insights. You’ll see whether a strike is cloud-to-cloud or cloud-to-ground, the peak current in kiloamperes (a measure of strike strength), and even the charge polarity. This is particularly important when you’re dealing with positive strikes, which are much stronger and more hazardous than negative ones. For sailors, this type of granular data can influence your route decisions, anchorage planning, and when to dash for shelter.

PredictWind has seamlessly built the lightning tracking capability into every aspect of its ecosystem. On the Forecast Maps page of the PredictWind website, lightning data is visible by default. You can easily toggle it on or off, and view strikes from the past hour with a fade effect that visually shows how recent each strike is. In the PredictWind App, lightning is listed in the Tables and under Observations, where you can select a map view to monitor real-time activity right from your mobile device. 

And perhaps most importantly, this tool updates every five minutes. That means you’re not just looking at past activity - you’re watching the storm evolve in near real-time. It’s this constant refresh rate that makes PredictWind’s solution a serious safety upgrade for anyone operating in areas prone to electrical storms. Lightning isn’t just about flashes in the sky; it’s a real risk to vessels, equipment, and of course, crew. PredictWind’s tool empowers sailors to avoid danger zones altogether, or at least prepare properly when they’re caught in a dicey situation.

Speaking of dicey situations, did you know that you can now enable extreme weather alerts?

PredictWind offers two main types of alerts to help sailors stay informed about weather conditions: Extreme Weather Alerts and Forecast & Observation Alerts. Each serves a distinct purpose, ensuring you can make well-informed decisions at sea.

• Forecast & Observation Alerts let you track wind, temperature, and other key conditions so that you can find the best spots for sailing, kite surfing, and other marine activities.
• Extreme Weather Alerts provide life-saving notifications about storms, gales, and hazardous weather, ensuring you can take action before dangerous conditions strike.

With these tools, you can sail safer, catch the best wind, and make smarter decisions at sea.

The lightning tracker and extreme weather alerts are more reasons why PredictWind remains at the forefront of marine weather intelligence. With their commitment to innovative features like this, they’re helping sailors, surfers, and anyone who loves being on the water make smarter, safer decisions every time they hit the water.

Head to predictwind.com or dive into the Help Center for tips on how to make the most of the PredictWind App. Because when it comes to lightning and alerts, knowledge isn’t just power - it’s protection.

predictwind.com
help.predictwind.com 

Return to Newsletter Landing Page