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Wide Area Storm Probe (V2)

(Updated every 10 minutes)

wASP2

What is WASP2?


WASP2 stands for Wide Area Spectrum Probe. WASP is an analyzer intended for monitoring lightning activity captured by a StrikeStar Lightning locator network.
The point sources providing this data to StrikeStar are StormTracker and LD-250 lightning detectors manufactured by the Boltek Corporation.

How do we get this data?

Lightning strike data which is detected by different Boltek sensors in a StrikeStar network is sent over the Internet to a central processing server which triangulates this data in order to determine the approximate geographical position of the lightning discharge. The StrikeStar output is relayed to a companion server application named LDStream which in turn feeds this data over a TCP/IP based network and serves as a network access point for external client applications.

Our lightning dectector is part of this network. Since WASP2 only displays strikes detected by multiple detectors in the network it usually will showfewer strikes, but should be more accurate than viewing a single detector.

Not for protection of life or property.

Disclaimer: Lightning data is provided without warranty of any kind as to accuracy or timeliness
Lightning Key:


Strike
 A lightning strike that has been detected by the lightning detector and has been calculated as a proper strike and not background noise. This can be any type of lightning with either a positive or negative charge.
Close Strike A strike of lightning, which has been calculated to being within a 50Km radius of Dayboro.  This can be any type of lightning with either a positive or negative charge.
+ CLOUD-GROUND



A positively charged cloud to ground strike of lightning. A positive cloud to ground strike usually has a long continuing current and are though to make up about 5% of all strikes globally (1).  
These strikes originally high in the anvil of the storm cloud and are typically six to ten time stronger than negatively charged lightning strikes (2)  and the voltage difference for positive lightning is considerably higher, due to the tens of thousands of additional meters the strike must travel.  

These are considered the most dangerous strikes of lightning and are often the cause of fires and property destruction.
(1) - (2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning
-CLOUD-GROUND



 A negativly charged cloud to ground strike of lightning.
A negatively charged lightning originates from the middle or bottom of a storm cloud. Positively charged lightning can strike for many miles beyond the center of a storm, whereas negatively charged lightning tends to strike near the center of a storm. (1)
(1) http://www.eduplace.com/science/hmsc/3/f/cricket/cktcontent_3f133.shtml
+INTRACLOUD -INTRACLOUD

 A Intra-Cloud strike of lighting. Tese are the most common type of lightning, called intra cloud lightning, strikes between positive and negative areas in the same cloud.
The bolt is not usually visible, but rather appears like a broad flash in the sky. Intra-cloud lightning is far more prevalent than cloud-to-ground lightning, and the mean peak currents in intra cloud lightning tend to be smaller. Intra cloud flashes that leave cloud base and approach ground, but do not reach ground, are called air discharges. Intra cloud lightning that leaves cloud top and heads upwards are sometimes referred to as cloud-to-ionosphere flashes. (1)
(1) http://www.weather-plus.net/LightningDetector.html