Global Lightning Animation for Google Earth

Received a tip from a GEB reader about some new weather data for Google Earth. The data comes from a web site called GuiWeather.com which predominantly is focused on providing global lightning data, but also has other GE weather tools. GuiWeather hopes to help people avoid lightning strike dangers by alerting them to nearby lightning using cell phone alerts. More importantly from a GE perspective, they are sharing their global lightning data in the form of lightning time animations. The data is near real-time (less than 2 minutes old when I last checked) and the animation shows the last 30 minutes of lightning strikes world wide. Check out the global lightning time animation . I like the way they show you how to configure and play the timeslider with little “pointer hand” graphic icons overlayed on the screen. GuiWeather’s site says they have a world-wide network of sferic sensors collecting the lightning data.
In addition to the lightning data, the GuiWeather site has a number of other KML files with weather data. Current temperatures for many cities in the US are color coded as well as giving temperature values. This same temperature data is also available as a Google Mapplet. I also like GuiWeather’s buoy and ship weather collection.

About Frank Taylor

Frank Taylor started the Google Earth Blog in July, 2005 shortly after Google Earth was first released. He has worked with 3D computer graphics and VR for many years and was very impressed with this exciting product. Frank completed a 5.5 year circumnavigation of the earth by sailboat in June 2015 which you can read about at Tahina Expedition, and is a licensed pilot, backpacker, diver, and photographer.

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