A new smartphone app that can alert users to lightning strikes nearby has been developed in the US.
The app from WeatherBug, called Spark, tells you where the nearest lightning strike is to you, based on data from the Total Lightning Network (run by WeatherBug's parent company, Earth Networks) and your phone's GPS location.
Users can also check for lightning near saved locations such as the beach or the golf course you're hoping to visit, website 'OurAmazingPlanet' reported.
To check for lightning where your friends and loved ones are at that moment, users have to simply zoom in on the radar map and press and hold their exact location to get information on Spark lightning alerts and other key weather information.
The app detects both lightning that hits the ground and the majority of lightning in the clouds that you may not even be able to see - what meteorologists call 'total' lightning.
Spark also provides detailed lightning information and recommendations for when to seek shelter and when to stay alert.
