# Thunderly — Lightning in real time

> Real-time global lightning and weather visualization app. (iPhone/iPad app by Jan Plesek.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thunderly/id1341334743 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Jan Plesek](https://appshunter.io/developer/579661449)
- Category: Weather, Utilities
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.30/5 from 2,596 App Store ratings · 117 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 11.0 · 113 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2018-02-05
- Data updated: 2026-09-09
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thunderly/id1341334743/reviews.md

## What is Thunderly?

Do you love storms as we do?
Then you’ll love our app.

At photorealistic globe you can see real time lightning all around the world. Besides accurate day and night cycle, globe contains real time clouds, precipitation and lightning history layer for last hour.

For better resolution you can zoom into map detail. If you zoom really closely to your location, you can use start-stop feature to measure your distance from nearby storm.

When no storm is close enough, feel free to “stream” lightnings via your camera flash from opposite side of the world to your living room.

...and one more thing:
If you try hard enough we are pretty sure that you’ll find switch for real time aurora. Not as cool as lightning, but also kind of amazing!

## Key features

- Real-time global lightning map
- Accurate day/night cycle
- Real-time clouds and precipitation layers
- Lightning history layer (last hour)
- Zoomable map detail
- Storm distance measurement
- Simulated lightning flashes

## What do users think of Thunderly?

Overall sentiment: mixed

**Pros**

- 🌟 Awesome app
- 🌩️ Great for tracking storms
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics
- 🔊 Realistic sound effects
- 🌍 Global coverage
- 🎮 Fun and engaging

**Cons**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🔌 App not working/functional
- 🕰️ App no longer updated
- 🔇 Sound/vibration issues
- 📱 Compatibility problems on older devices

**Commonly reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch
- Globe not rendering properly
- Lightning data not updating in real-time
- Incorrect lightning strike detection

**Most requested features**

- Add ability to track past lightning strikes
- Implement distance/location-based alerts
- Include weather data and radar
- Add support for landscape mode and iPad
- Provide more customization options

## Recent user reviews (10 of 117)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thunderly/id1341334743/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Hopeful

*2026-05-17, version 1.8*

Broken for years.
Hoping the dev will pick this app back up one day and fix it.

### 4/5 — Can not get it to work properly

*2025-12-31, version 1.8*

“After iOS update, app restores outdated lightning data even after full delete/reinstall. No way to reset.”

### 5/5 — Great App

*2025-05-16, version 1.8*

This used to be my favorite weather app, especially for tracking storms. Sadly, I opened the app today because we have some really good storms in the area, only to see that it’s completely silent. I can see some weather clouds, but no thunder. No lightning. No haptics. Nothing. I checked the App Store and realized it’s been 6 years since the last update from the dev. It made me incredibly sad. I only wish this app would magically spring back to life. Definitely worth considering a subscription or something to breathe some life back into this app!

### 5/5 — Is it still working?

*2024-11-04, version 1.8*

Been using this app for years. Tried it today but seems it’s not detecting anything. Wonder if it’s still being updated and working.

### 1/5 — Takes over sound system

*2024-05-08, version 1.8*

There is no need on Earth for this app to stop my podcast or music so it can make annoying noises at me.

### 1/5 — No longer working.

*2024-03-28, version 1.8*

Either update it or shutter it, please. Was a cool app when it worked. Now on iPhone 12 Pro Max it is mostly nonfunctional

### 5/5 — Thundery

*2023-09-30, version 1.8*

I love to track and I loved watching lightning storms happen. I knew I love lightning and it is fun to watch in the sky when it rains. I will track lightning because it is not to be in the water to swim or other water activities in the summer months. I will be safe to watch it at home.

### 5/5 — Great app possibly needs new features

*2023-08-02, version 1.8*

Thunderly is great for reporting thunder but honestly may need a “thunder in your area” feature since I found this when searching “thunder tracker”

### 1/5 — It doesn’t work anymore

*2022-12-17, version 1.8*

ImpoSsible.  This was once one of my favorite apps.  But I have not been able to get it to work for 2 years.  It worked when I had an iPhone 8 but since I started using a newer iPhone I think I’ve tried everything I could to get it functioning again with no success.  I don’t have an internet connection problem.  I have deleted the app and started it over again at least 50 times.  I spent too much time trying to check every possible setting on my phone to figure out how to get the app to function.  I have reached out to the developer at least 5 times.  He once replied and said he would help but nothing changed and he hasn’t responded for most of the 2 years.  I open the app and nothing happens.  I see only spots where there was activity but no lightening strikes have ever occurred. I’ve searched online many times to find a solution.  I have tried everything I could find online to get this app to work.  I have found that I am not the only person who has this problem.  I believe I read one person said the app developer did something to help the issue for him but I can’t seem to get the app developer to do whatever it was in my case.  I am sad because I really, really enjoyed this app when it worked.  It’s too bad the app developer doesn’t care to help.

### 1/5 — Pretty useless

*2022-10-18, version 1.8*

This was on my phone. I never understood what it did until reading the reviews. It doesn’t do anything but look pretty so I deleted it.

## Frequently asked questions about Thunderly

### What does this app do?

This app provides a photorealistic globe displaying real-time lightning strikes from around the world. It also includes accurate day and night cycles, real-time cloud and precipitation data, and a historical layer for lightning activity over the past hour.

### What are the key features of the app?

Key features include a real-time global lightning map, zoomable map detail for higher resolution, a start-stop feature to measure distances from nearby storms, the ability to simulate lightning flashes using your camera's flash, and a switch for real-time aurora viewing.

### Is this app free to use?

Yes, based on the provided information, this application is free to use. There are no mentions of subscriptions, in-app purchases, or advertisements, indicating a completely free experience.

### What kind of weather information can I see?

You can see real-time lightning strikes globally. Additionally, the app displays accurate day and night cycles, real-time cloud cover, and precipitation data. It also offers a historical layer showing lightning activity from the past hour.

### Can I measure how far away a storm is?

Yes, you can measure the distance from nearby storms. If you zoom in closely to your location on the map, you can utilize the start-stop feature to accurately gauge your distance from an approaching storm.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.8 — 2018-09-19

- minor bug fixes

### 1.7 — 2018-08-26

- minor fixes

### 1.6 — 2018-07-16

- bugfixes
- stability improvements

### 1.5 — 2018-04-22

- stability improvements
- hopefully fixed "big white square" issue once for all

### 1.4 — 2018-03-02

Aurora feature is unlocked for everyone!
You, guys, are really bad in finding stuff. Almost no one found it. Since now, Aurora for everyone.

Also, you asked as for km/miles switcher. So we put it in.

Everytime we make update we improve stability a bit.

## Apps similar to Thunderly

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Lightning Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightning-tracker/id1473753714) | 4.3 (574) | Free | Weather |
| [Storm Tracker°](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storm-tracker/id945662980) | 4.6 (82,103) | Free | Weather |
| [Doppler Radar: Live Rain Map](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/doppler-radar-live-rain-map/id1041249132) | 4.6 (38,619) | Free | Weather |
| [Local Weather & Forecast](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/local-weather-and-forecast/id1513560617) | 4.3 (3,806) | Free | Weather |
| [AccuWeather: Weather Forecast](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/accuweather-weather-forecast/id300048137) | 4.6 (1,496,270) | Free | Weather |
| [Tropical Hurricane Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tropical-hurricane-tracker/id1436318547) | 5.0 (2,335) | Free | Weather |

## More apps by Jan Plesek

- [Beer Board](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beer-board/id817733240)
- [Laundry Day - Care Symbol Reader](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/laundry-day-care-symbol-reader/id974530923)
- [Juggle monkey, juggle](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/juggle-monkey-juggle/id1071244509)
- [ATMs - ATM locator](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/atms-atm-locator/id1434218222)
- [Space Era - AR Star Guide](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-era-ar-star-guide/id1514393894)

All apps by Jan Plesek: https://appshunter.io/developer/579661449

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-09.*