Is lightning near Birmingham right now?
~56 minearest strike to Birmingham
1 strike within 100 mi in the last hour.
Free push alert when lightning approaches Birmingham. Your exact location and alerts live in the app.
Thunderstorm season in Birmingham
Birmingham, AL averages about 58.8 thunderstorm days a year — roughly 2.4× the national average of 25. Among the cities StrikeCast tracks, Birmingham is the 2nd-most active in its state. Nearby Mobile runs higher still at 79 days. The busiest stretch runs April–September, at the height of Alabama's storm season.
- Thunderstorm days/yr
- 58.8
- Peak season
- April–September
- vs US average
- 2.4×
- Rank in AL
- 2nd
- Metro population
- ~196.4K
Source: NOAA / WMO climate normals — mean annual days with thunderstorms (1961–2010). City rank reflects the US cities StrikeCast tracks.
Where Birmingham sits
At around 614 ft and about 202 mi inland, Birmingham's lightning usually rides through with passing fronts and complexes.
NOAA logged 9 notable lightning events within 50 miles of Birmingham since 2015 — including 6 injuries.
- Elevation
- 614 ft
- Distance to coast
- ~202 mi
- Terrain
- Inland lowland
Source: Elevation: open-meteo.com · Coastline: Natural Earth · Lightning history: NOAA NCEI Storm Events.
Lightning safety in Birmingham
The safest call in Birminghamisn’t how many storms a year it gets — it’s how close the nearest strike is right now. The 30-30 rule is the baseline: indoors within 30 seconds of thunder, back out only 30 minutes after the last. StrikeCast shows that distance and whether the storm is closing in, so you can act early.
StrikeCast app
Distance, trend & alerts — in your pocket.
GPS-precise distance to the nearest strike, live approaching/moving-away trend, and a push alert before the storm reaches you — no need to keep the app open.
Your exact location stays on your device. Never shared. Never tracked.
Frequently asked
How far away is the nearest lightning to Birmingham?
StrikeCast shows the live distance in miles to the nearest strike near Birmingham, updated continuously from NOAA GOES-GLM satellite data, plus whether it is approaching or moving away.
Is it safe to be outside in Birmingham right now?
If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck. Follow the 30-30 rule: shelter when thunder follows lightning by 30 seconds or less, and wait 30 minutes after the last thunder. StrikeCast's distance and trend help you decide before the storm arrives.
When is thunderstorm season in Birmingham?
Birmingham sees the most lightning April–September, averaging about 58.8 thunderstorm days a year.
Where does Birmingham rank for lightning?
Among the US cities StrikeCast tracks, Birmingham is the 2nd-most lightning-active in AL, at about 58.8 thunderstorm days a year.
Can I get lightning alerts for Birmingham?
Yes. Get the free StrikeCast app, save Birmingham, and you will get a push alert when lightning approaches — no need to keep the app open.