Is lightning near Tampa right now?
~68 minearest strike to Tampa→ Holding steady
188 strikes within 100 mi in the last hour.
Free push alert when lightning approaches Tampa. Your exact location and alerts live in the app.
Thunderstorm season in Tampa
Tampa, FL averages about 83 thunderstorm days a year — roughly 3.3× the national average of 25. Among the cities StrikeCast tracks, Tampa is the 3rd-most active in its state. It ranks among the most lightning-prone cities in the country. That's more lightning than nearby Orlando (82 days) but less than Fort Myers (88). Activity peaks June–September, when Florida's warm-season storms fire most often.
- Thunderstorm days/yr
- 83
- Peak season
- June–September
- vs US average
- 3.3×
- Rank in FL
- 3rd
- Metro population
- ~398.2K
Source: NOAA / WMO climate normals — mean annual days with thunderstorms (1961–2010). City rank reflects the US cities StrikeCast tracks.
Where Tampa sits
Tampa sits at about 30 ft on the coast, where sea-breeze convergence can trigger storms that build fast on summer afternoons — a live nearest-strike distance beats waiting for the rain.
NOAA logged 85 notable lightning events within 50 miles of Tampa since 2015 — including 34 injuries and 9 deaths.
- Elevation
- 30 ft
- Distance to coast
- On the coast
- Terrain
- Coastal
Source: Elevation: open-meteo.com · Coastline: Natural Earth · Lightning history: NOAA NCEI Storm Events.
Lightning safety in Tampa
The safest call in Tampaisn’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 Tampa?
StrikeCast shows the live distance in miles to the nearest strike near Tampa, updated continuously from NOAA GOES-GLM satellite data, plus whether it is approaching or moving away.
Is it safe to be outside in Tampa 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 Tampa?
Tampa sees the most lightning June–September, averaging about 83 thunderstorm days a year.
Where does Tampa rank for lightning?
Among the US cities StrikeCast tracks, Tampa is the 3rd-most lightning-active in FL and ranks among the most lightning-prone in the country, at about 83 thunderstorm days a year.
Can I get lightning alerts for Tampa?
Yes. Get the free StrikeCast app, save Tampa, and you will get a push alert when lightning approaches — no need to keep the app open.