Lightning and thunderstorms
Germany 2024 review
Read our weather, climate and electrical analysis of thunderstorms in Germany in 2024.
2024 at a glance
Joris Royet, Chef de projet Météo, METEORAGE
With over 260,000 detected cloud-to-ground flashes CG, Germany recorded a lightning-rich year in 2024, but without being among the first five years with the highest electricity consumption.
Thunderstorm activity was mainly concentrated in May and the meteorological summer, which incidentally accounted for 70% of the year’s electrical activity.
The summer was characterised by severe thunderstorm events, which were often accompanied by supercells or larger systems.
The latter led to hailstorms, violent gusts of wind and sometimes spectacular events such as the lightning that was immortalised over the Dortmund stadium during the football World Cup.
Thunderstorm activity remained inconspicuous in both spring and autumn.
The stable air mass inhibited the development of thunderstorms until May, while instability decreased significantly from October onwards.
In September, however, almost 32,000 cloud-to-ground flashes CG were recorded, marking a slightly more active start to autumn, before calm returned towards the end of the year.
Joris Royet, Weather Project Manager, METEORAGE.
Our European Lightning Detection Network (ELDN) detected
in Germany, in 2024
Key facts
The day most struck by lightning
13 August 2024
The month most struck by lightning
June 2024
The town most struck by lightning
Hamburg
Focus on​
Heavy thunderstorms on 29 June 2024
by Joris Royet, Weather Project Manager, METEORAGE.
A fast southwesterly flow, fed by the rise of a prominent thalweg from the Pyrenees to north-eastern France, favoured the development of an intense thunderstorm context on 29 June. The energy available for the development of thunderstorms (CAPE) was very high in Germany at the front of the thunderstorm systems, especially in combination with warm and humid air that was located over the country during the day.
These conditions led to the formation of an extensive mesoscale convective complex at the end of the day. This impressive thunderstorm system developed over north-east France and then moved towards northern Germany. The extensive and simultaneously cold (down to -60°C) cloud tops reflected its extraordinary intensity.
This mesoscale convective complex characterised the region with spectacular thunderstorms accompanied by hail and heavy precipitation. These dangerous weather events led, among other things, to the cancellation of the Germany-Denmark match (round of 16 of the 2024 World Cup).
Lightning strike map 29 June 2024
11,946 detected cloud-to-ground flashes thereof:
+ Positive CG flashes: 1,498;
– Negative CG flashes: 10,448.
Lightning strikes in Germany in 2024
For the year 2024, the lightning density in Germany is 0.7294 cloud-to-ground flashes CG per km².
Seasonality of thunderstorms
Seasonal distribution of 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 can still produce thunderstorms linked to transitions between air masses, particularly near waters that are still relatively warm.
In winter, although less frequent, thunderstorms can occur, often near the oceans or in regions where cold fronts meet warmer, more humid air.
Top 10 German federal states (Bundesländer) most struck by lightning
by number of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes​
by lightning density of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes per km²/year​
| 01. BREMEN | 1.27 |
| 02. HAMBURG | 1.19 |
| 03. BAYERN | 0.95 |
| 04. NIEDERSACHSEN | 0.83 |
| 05. SACHSEN | 0.76 |
| 06. NORDRHEIN WESTFALEN | 0.73 |
| 07. BADEN-WÃœRTTEMBERG | 0.70 |
| 08. BRANDENBURG | 0.68 |
| 09. THÃœRINGEN | 0.66 |
| 10. HESSEN | 0.61 |
Top 10 Districts (Kreise) most struck by lightning
by number of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes​
by lightning density of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes per km²/year​
| 01. ROSENHEIM | 2.77 |
| 02. MIESBACH | 2.44 |
| 03. KEMPTEN | 2.30 |
| 04. WEILHEIM-SCHONGAU | 2.23 |
| 05. AMMERLAND | 2.17 |
| 06. ROSENHEIM | 2.06 |
| 07. STARNBERG | 2.00 |
| 08. GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN | 1.92 |
| 09. BAD TÖLZ-WOLFRATSHAUSEN | 1.91 |
| 10. MÃœNCHEN | 1.87 |
Top 10 Municipalities (Gemeinden) most struck by lightning
by number of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes​
by lightning density of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes per km²/year​
| 01. SCHWABBRUCK | 4.64 |
| 02. INGENRIED | 4.49 |
| 03. APEN | 4.40 |
| 04. BURGGEN | 3.88 |
| 05. BREITBRUNN A. CHIEMSEE | 3.78 |
| 06. WEICHERING | 3.76 |
| 07. FIRREL | 3.69 |
| 08. RAUBLINGN | 3.68 |
| 09. WERTACH | 3.67 |
| 10. GROSSEFEH | 3.67 |
The lightning strike in Germany in recent years
Over the last 3 years
Monthly distribution of lightning strikes
Number of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes detected each month.
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 Germany. The data, densities, rankings and thunder days in this report are dated from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024.Â
