Lightning and thunderstorms
Luxembourg 2024 review
Read our weather, climate and electrical analysis of thunderstorms in Luxembourg in 2024.
2024 at a glance
Joris Royet, Chef de projet Météo, METEORAGE
One of the most devastating years on record
With more than 2,100 CG cloud-to-ground flashes (lightning strikes) detected, 2024 was one of the three most electric years since METEORAGE began recording data in Luxembourg. Although this activity was intense throughout the country, it was concentrated in specific periods, mainly June, August and September, while July proved to be a more stable month.
Concentrated activity on a few key days
Luxembourg’s small size amplifies the statistical impact of isolated events. Three days alone – 29 June, 5 September and 13 August – account for more than 50% of annual electrical activity. These events reflect the typical trajectory of thunderstorm systems passing through the region.
Luxembourg’s electrical activity is strongly influenced by the passage of storm lines formed in France, often propagating towards Belgium orGermany. Since the beginning of October, no CG cloud-to-ground lightning has been recorded, reflecting localised weather deterioration outside Luxembourg’s borders, as also observed in 2023.
Joris Royet, Weather Project Manager, METEORAGE.
Our European Lightning Detection Network (ELDN) detected in Luxembourg, in 2024
Key facts
The day most struck by lightning
29 June 2024
The month most struck by lightning
August 2024
The town most struck by lightning
Wincrange
Focus on
A very unstable 5 September 2024
by Royet, Weather Project Manager, METEORAGE.
Meteorological context
A well-isolated cold drop is hovering over western Europe, particularly over the near Atlantic, generating a low-pressure south-westerly flow and even a south-easterly flow over Luxembourg. These conditions are conducive to thunderstorms moving across the country, fuelled by marked temperature contrasts: while temperatures are still reaching 25°C ahead of the storm systems, they are dropping below 20°C in France behind the rainstorm fronts.
Development of thunderstorms
The unstable flow led to the formation of numerous thunderstorm cells in France, Germany and Switzerland. Some of these cells moved towards Luxembourg. The latent instability, measured by the CAPE (Convective Available Potential Energy), reached values close to 2,500 J/kg locally, indicating a high potential for the development of violent thunderstorms. The precipitable water content is also high and partly explains the heavy rainfall associated with these storms.
Electricity balance
During this episode, the METEORAGE (ELDN) network of sensors detected almost 480 CG cloud-to-ground lightning flashes over Luxembourg territory. This represents more than 20% of the country’s annual electrical activity, underlining the intensity of this event on a local scale.
Map of CG lightning strikes on 5 September 2024
On 5 September 2024, 472 CG flashes were detected, including :
– 436 negative CG flashes,
+36 positive CG flashes.
Lightning strikes in Luxembourg in 2024
For 2024, the density of CG cloud-to-ground lightning strikes in Luxembourg is 0.8274 CG cloud-to-ground lightning strikes per km².
Seasonality of thunderstorms
Seasonal distribution of CG cloud-to-ground lightning flashes
The frequency, geographical distribution and intensity of thunderstorms vary with the seasons, depending on temperature, humidity and atmospheric dynamics.
In spring, thermal contrasts between cold and warm air set in and encourage the first convective thunderstorms, often accompanied by intense rain and sometimes hail or tornadoes, with electrical activity increasing as the season progresses.
In summer, they are more frequent and violent, fuelled by high temperatures and strong contrasts when cold drops pass through, generating thunderstorms that are sometimes supercellular, hence a peak in activity during this season.
Autumn sees a gradual reduction in electrical activity, but lows, or cold drops, can still produce frontal thunderstorms linked to transitions between air masses, or at the back in the case of trailing skies.
In winter, although less frequent, thunderstorms can occur, often behind a disturbance where the cool air near the ground contrasts with very cold air aloft. These thunderstorms appear anarchically within an unstable air mass.
Number of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes detected each month.
Top 10 districts most affected by lightning strikes
by number of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes
by lightning density of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes per km²/year
| 01. Luxembourg | 0.92 |
| 02. Diekirch | 0.91 |
| 03. Grevenmacher | 0.46 |
Top 10 cantons most affected by lightning strikes
by number of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes
by lightning density of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes per km²/year
| 01. Mersch | 1.28 |
| 02. Capellen | 1.19 |
| 03. Redange | 1.03 |
| 04. Diekirch | 0.93 |
| 05. Wiltz | 0.90 |
| 06. Clervaux | 0.89 |
| 07. Esch-sur-Alzette | 0.76 |
| 08. Luxembourg | 0.55 |
| 09. Echternach | 0.51 |
| 10. Grevenmacher | 0.46 |
Top 10 municipalities most affected by lightning strikes
by number of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes
by lightning density of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes per km²/year
| 01. Hobscheid | 2.442 |
| 02. Feulen | 2.180 |
| 03. Useldange | 2.073 |
| 04. Mersch | 1.811 |
| 05. Heiderscheid | 1.699 |
| 06. Lintgen | 1.696 |
| 07. Pétange | 1.661 |
| 08. Saeul | 1.471 |
| 09. Koerich | 1.470 |
| 10. Septfontaines | 1.463 |
The lightning strike inLuxembourg in recent years
Since 2007, the lightning density of cloud-to-ground CG flashes (lightning strikes) in Luxembourg has been 0.2934 cloud-to-ground CG flashes/km² per year.
The average number of days with thunderstorms is 20 per year.
Over the last 10 years
Annual distribution of lightning strikes
Number of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes detected each year.
Annual distribution of thunder days
Number of thunder days detected annually.
Terminology
To help you better understand the information in this report, here are the definitions for some of the most frequently used terms.
Cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flash
Discharge of current of a certain intensity circulating between the cloud and the ground. Abbreviated to CG (Cloud-to-Ground).
Lightning density
The best current representation of thunderstorm activity is lightning density, which is the number of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes per km² per year.
Lightning flash
All current discharges and electrical impulses from a lightning event. A lightning flash can occur within the same cloud (IC), between a cloud and the ground (CG) or between two clouds (CC). A lightning flash can be composed of one stroke or many strokes, which are current discharges and electrical impulses.
Thunder day
Each day that lightning was detected in a given area.
About this lightning report
The lightning report is based on data provided by METEORAGE’s lightning detection network (ELDN) in Europe.
The information we provide concerns cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes and lightning density.
To be able to compare these data with the data collected, METEORAGE counts the main current pulse circulating between the cloud and the ground, defined in this report by the term “Cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flash”.
Our expertise draws on more than ten years of analysis, observation and data collected in Europe, and more broadly worldwide. We have over 37 years’ expertise in France.
The performance of our network has been validated scientifically and delivers the best possible results with:
- > 98% lightning flash detection,
- a median detection accuracy of 100 meters,
- > 90% distinction made between cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes and intra-cloud lightning flashes.
The METEORAGE network consists of more than 100 lightning sensors, calculators and a processing system that manages the databases. Our lightning sensors are based on the Vaisala technology, currently considered one of the best in the world. Our network achieves levels of performance validated by numerous scientific studies and publications.
This 2024 report is based on the most comprehensive source of information in Luxembourg. The data, densities, rankings and thunder days in this report are dated from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024.
