Mouseover dots to see town names.



Colour codes indicate how long ago the lightning strike occured.

• + 15 - 30 minutes
• + 30 - 45 minutes
• + 45 - 75 minutes
• + 75 - 115 minutes

The strike symbols are:

• + Positive
• . Negative
• x Cloud to cloud

1. GPS receiver stations at Charleville, Moree and Cobar, are nearest to a strike at Lightning Ridge.
2. Each station detects the strike at a slightly different time and sends data to the central GPATS system in Sydney.
3. The location is computed and transmitted to a Country Energy control room in Port Macquarie.
4. The position and intensity of the strike is plotted on a computer screen. The computer display is constantly updated, showing new strike positions almost instantaneously.
5. A simplified and delayed version of the screen display is posted to the Storm Tracker page on the Country Energy website.

Country Energy's storm tracker data is provided by GPATS Global Positioning and Tracking Systems Pty. Ltd.) Australia using Lightning Position and Tracking System (LPATS) technology invented by its CEO, Dr Bent.

How does it work?

LPATS GPS receiver stations at *25 locations in Australia detect lightning strikes. By mathematically analysing the time-of-arrival of the lightning transmission at three different receiver stations, the position of any strike can be calculated within an accuracy of 200 metres. The timing of the strike can be calculated within an accuracy of 100 nanoseconds and its magnitude measured in kiloamps (kA).

The strike data is collected by a central computer system at GPATS and sent to subscribing organisations, like Country Energy, over a telecommunications network.

Once received by a computer running GPATS software at Country Energy, the strike information is displayed on a map. Each cloud-to-ground strike is shown on the map with a plus (+) symbol. The strike symbols are colour coded to show their age - that is, how long ago they occurred. The map display is refreshed every few seconds and the colours of individual strike symbols change as they age.

By viewing the colour changes of the strike symbols, Country Energy's system control staff can monitor in real time the direction in which a storm is moving and the intensity of its electrical activity. It can take as little as 2 seconds for a strike at Lightning Ridge, for example, to be displayed on a Country Energy System Control computer in Port Macquarie.

Our website storm tracker map shows a simplified, delayed transmission version of the map used by our System Control staff. The website map is updated approximately 4 times per hour and only shows strikes older than 15 minutes (in accordance with GPATS conditions of use for display to non-subscribers).

*GPATS currently operates 25 strategically located GPS receiver stations in Australia.

• Albany WA
• Alice Springs NT
• Cairns QLD
• Canberra ACT
• Charleville QLD
• Cobar NSW
• Coffs Harbour NSW
• Darwin NT
• East Ceduna SA
• East Sale VIC
• Geraldton WA
• Hobart TAS
• Kalgoorlie WA
• Lismore NSW
• Longreach QLD
• Meekatharra WA
• Mildura VIC
• Moree NSW
• Mt Gambier SA
• Mt Isa QLD
• Rockhampton QLD
• Roma QLD
• Sydney NSW
• Tennant Creek NT
• Woomera SA

For complete update, view radar & satellite images. Lightning strike data is supplied by GPATS. Strike data is delayed by 15 minutes to preserve commercial value to GPATS. Strike symbols on map are updated every 15 minutes and the number of updates since you arrived at Storm Tracker are displayed in the box top right. Please Note: Absence of strike symbols means no current lightning activity. It doesn't mean 'no rain'. Please click weather radar and satellite image icons for complete weather information. Town positions are approximate. Selected locations outside Country Energy area are coded in blue.

Disclaimer

This website, including StormTracker and Webcam, is a free service. While we have made every effort to ensure that the information contained on this website is free from error, up-to-date and accurate, information is dynamic and the information on this website could contain errors, be incomplete, or out of date. We advise all users to independently confirm the currency, accuracy and completeness of any information contained on this website before relying on that information in any way. We are not liable to you or anyone else for any loss, damage or inconvenience whatsoever caused in connection with the use of, or reliance on, the information contained on this website or a linked website.

In addition, we may change or add to this website or the information and services supplied by us without notice. From time to time the website and the StormTracker or Webcam services may be offline and whilst measures will be undertaken by us to restore the website and these services we make no warranties as to when they will be available.