Before It Strikes: Lightning
Cody Negri Weather iPhoneiPadiPod touchApple Watch
Before It Strikes: Lightning is a free Weather app for iPhone and iPad by Cody Negri. Rated 5.0/5 from 7 ratings. Requires iOS 17.0.
- Rating
- 5.0
- 7 ratings
- Price
- Free
- on the App Store
- Size
- 37 MB
- Age 4+
- Updated
- Sep 24
- 2026 · v2.2.1
Screenshots
About Before It Strikes: Lightning
Severe weather, before it happens. You shouldn't find out about a storm when the first bolt hits. Before It Strikes watches the sky for you — pushing official National Weather Service warnings the instant they're issued, tracking storms headed your way, and counting down exactly when it's safe to go back outside. Free. Nationwide. Built for anyone who has to make the call to head inside. -Lightning safety countdown When lightning strikes within 10 miles, a 30-minute timer starts — and resets with every nearby strike, just like the 30-30 rule the pros use. When it reaches zero, you're clear. It lives right on your Lock Screen and Apple Watch. -Official NWS alerts, instantly Tornado, severe thunderstorm, and flash-flood warnings straight from the National Weather Service — for home, the lake house, the kids' school, anywhere you save. With a live expiration countdown, plain-English guidance, and every affected county. - Hi-res 3D radar Crisp, smooth radar you can tilt into 3D and zoom to your own street. 150+ live radar sites, nationwide — pan to any storm in the country. - Storm Center One screen that reads the sky: a 1–5 threat level, live lightning rate, the nearest strike, the next-6-hour outlook, and local storm reports as they land. - See it coming A heads-up when a storm is overhead or heading your way — with tornado, wind, and hail threats in plain words, before the first bolt. - On your wrist The all-clear countdown mirrors to your Apple Watch as a glowing ring — a glance tells you whether it's safe to go back out. - Follows you Save every place you care about, or let it track wherever you are. Loud when it counts, silent when it doesn't. No subscription. No paywall on safety. Every feature, free. A note on safety Official National Weather Service warnings are always the source of truth. Some features — such as lightning prediction and storm scoring — are experimental situational awareness and should never be used in place of official warnings or lightning-safety guidance. When in doubt, seek shelter.
Ratings & reviews
5.0
7 ratings
What’s new
Version 2.2.1 · Updated September 24, 2026
All Clear Outlook (for Precision users) When you are sheltering from lightning, you now see the chance that your shelter ends when the countdown reaches zero. For example: "55% chance the shelter ends at 11:39 AM." Tap it to see why, and what happens if lightning strikes within 8 miles again. The clock resets, and it is usually another hour or so before the shelter lifts. The outlook comes from our research on thousands of real storms across the country. It helps you decide whether to wait it out or change your plans. The 30-minute countdown and official safety guidance still decide when it is safe to go back outside. Also in this version: performance improvements and fixes.
App privacy
The developer, Cody Negri, reported these privacy practices to Apple.
Data Not Linked to You
The following data, which may be collected but is not linked to your identity, may be used for the following purposes:
- Location: Precise Location
- Contact Info: Physical Address
- Identifiers: Device ID
Used for: App Functionality
Alternatives to Before It Strikes: Lightning
Looking for apps like Before It Strikes: Lightning? Here are 6 similar apps on the App Store. The highest rated is Lightning Tracker: Live Radar (5.0/5), and all 6 are free to download.
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Real-Time Lightning by MesoSky
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Lightning Tracker: Live Radar
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USA Weather Pro: Live Radar
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SkyMochi Weather
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RadarCast: Live Weather Radar
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| App | Rating | Price | Last updated | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before It Strikes: Lightning | 5.0 / 5 (7 ratings) | Free | September 24, 2026 | |
| Real-Time Lightning by MesoSky | 4.9 / 5 (11) | Free | Jul 17, 2026 | Compare |
| Lightning Tracker: Live Radar | 5.0 / 5 (8) | Free | Sep 2, 2026 | Compare |
| USA Weather Pro: Live Radar | – | Free | Oct 12, 2026 | Compare |
| Rain Weather Radar Countdown | 5.0 / 5 (5) | Free | Sep 1, 2026 | Compare |
| SkyMochi Weather | 5.0 / 5 (5) | Free | Oct 11, 2026 | Compare |
| RadarCast: Live Weather Radar | 4.8 / 5 (30) | Free | Sep 5, 2026 | Compare |