Severe Weather Alerts | Live Storm Tracker, Radar Maps & Breaking Weather News
United States — Live Lightning Map
Community-network lightning strikes in real time, from Blitzortung.org — refreshes continuously while open.
Strike age (how recent)
Important — this is not a safety tool. Blitzortung's own network explicitly says its data is for informational/entertainment purposes and should not be relied on to protect people or property. Strike detections can lag real time by a minute or more and coverage density varies by region. For actual lightning safety decisions, use official National Weather Service warnings — the standard guidance is "when thunder roars, go indoors," regardless of what any map shows.
Wildfire Smoke & Air Quality Tracker
Live smoke plumes, particulate pollution, and air quality readings across the United States — pulled directly from the monitoring networks meteorologists and air agencies use.
Understanding the AQI Scale
The Air Quality Index (AQI) is EPA's standard 0–500 scale for reporting how polluted the air is, driven largely by PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) during wildfire smoke events. Higher numbers mean greater health risk.
Live Smoke & Particulate Pollution Map
Windy's air-quality layer, showing modeled PM2.5 (fine particulate) concentration in real time — the same pollutant that drives wildfire smoke impacts. Use the layer switcher inside the map to compare PM2.5, PM10, and other pollutants.
Source: Windy.com (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service / CAMS data).
Community Sensor Map (PurpleAir)
PurpleAir's crowd-sourced sensor network is the fastest way to see hyper-local smoke impacts, since it includes tens of thousands of low-cost monitors alongside regulatory-grade stations. Readings can run higher than official monitors during heavy smoke — treat it as a directional, real-time complement to AirNow's regulatory data below.
Source: PurpleAir real-time map, community-operated PM2.5 sensors.
Current AQI — Fire-Prone Metro Areas
Official current readings from AirNow (EPA), for cities that are frequently affected by wildfire smoke.
Active Fire & Official Source Links
For confirmed fire perimeters, evacuation info, and the authoritative national smoke outlook, go straight to the agencies that produce the data.
EPA/USFS combined view of monitored AQI, temporary smoke sensors, satellite smoke plumes, and fire locations.
National real-time and forecast AQI by monitoring station, plus health guidance.
Satellite-detected active fire and thermal anomaly locations, updated multiple times daily.
Official incident information for significant wildfires: containment, acreage, and evacuation notices.
National situation reports and current wildland fire activity summaries.
State-level air monitoring data for California, the state most frequently affected by wildfire smoke.
What to Do at Each AQI Level
| AQI Level | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Good / Moderate | Normal outdoor activity is fine for most people. Sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms during Moderate readings. |
| Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | Children, older adults, pregnant people, and those with asthma or heart/lung conditions should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion. |
| Unhealthy | Everyone should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Close windows, run air purifiers/HVAC on recirculate, and wear a properly fitted N95/P100 mask outdoors if you must be out. |
| Very Unhealthy | Avoid outdoor activity. Keep indoor air filtered, and check on family, neighbors, or coworkers with respiratory or cardiac conditions. |
| Hazardous | Stay indoors with windows and doors sealed. Follow local health department and emergency management guidance; this is an emergency-level health risk for the entire population. |
Nationwide tornado and severe thunderstorm activity in one place: a live national radar loop, the Storm Prediction Center's current tornado risk and convective outlooks, and every active tornado warning, tornado watch and severe thunderstorm warning issued by the National Weather Service — updating automatically, no refresh needed.
View directly at the Storm Prediction Center.
Nationwide winter conditions in one place: a live snowfall & winter precipitation map, and every active freeze, frost, winter storm, ice and extreme-cold alert issued by the National Weather Service across the United States — updating automatically, no refresh needed.
