Lightning data is obtained by a SAFIR lightning detection network operated by RMI. This 'total lightning' network detects cloud-to-ground (CG) as well as cloud-to-cloud (CC) discharges. However, we focus solely on CG data. About 24000 CG lightning strokes were detected on this day in and around Belgium. At the time the windstorm hit the festival more than 500 CGs were detected in several 5-min intervals. (Downbursts are sometimes also accompanied by a sudden increase of CG discharges).

Fig. 6.1. Meteosat 8 HRV cloud RGB image for 15:10 UTC (left) and 16:15 UTC (right) overlaid with 5-min CG lightning data (lightning data in the previous 5 minutes). The number of discharges is indicated next to the color scale following the word 'Ground:'.

Click here to see the animation created from 5-minute lightning data between 11:35-18:40 UTC. (The visualization was performed at the Hungarian Meteorological Service: 5-min CG lightning data on 5-min HRV cloud RGB images.)