News

Actions

See the newest weather satellite's first lightning images

Posted at 1:54 PM, Mar 07, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-07 13:54:05-05

The newest weather satellite, or GOES-16, is the first ever satellite in geostationary orbit to detect lightning.

This weather satellite, with its Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM), will constantly watch the western hemisphere, looking for lightning strikes.

Lightning can help forecasters identify when a storm is strengthening or weakening. And if a storm is quickly intensifying, it could be an indication of severe weather.

via GIPHY

The lightning tracker will also be able to monitor storms that move into the ocean when we can't rely on radar to track the storms.

Overall, this new tool floating in space will help to keep us safer on the ground by giving all of us a more advanced warning when life-threatening weather is about to hit.

Follow Storm Shield Meteorologist Jason Meyersvia the Storm Shield appon Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Download the Storm Shield Weather Radio App for your iPhone or Android device and get severe weather alerts wherever you are. Named by Time.com one of the best weather apps for your iPhone.