The Lightning Detector is a special Weather Instrument for detecting the lightning produced during thunderstorms. It is nothing but an electrical discharge in the atmosphere. Lightning generally occurs during rain, dust storms, and thunderstorms. It can also been seen during the blizzards, nuclear explosions, and volcanic eruptions.

Lightning Detector are a very important device used by the meteorologists.

There are three types of Lightning Detectors used in the meteorological department:

• Ground-based systems with multiple antennas: This device calculates the direction and harshness of lightning from the location with its radio direction-finding techniques. The meteorologists analyses the frequencies emitted by lightning. The instrument can also use triangulation from various locations that determines the distance of the lightning. These Lightning Detectors are used largely by the meteorologists. Organizations like Meteorological Service of Canada and National Weather Service of United States uses this instrument.
• Mobile systems with a direction and a sense antenna: Through these devises the distance of the lightning can be estimated with the use of signal frequency and attenuation.
• Space-based systems: This Lightning Detector can detect the bearing, range, and intensities of the lightning through direct observation.

These days the battery-operated personal lightning detectors are largely used by people. It detects the electromagnetic pulse, which is emitted during a lightning strike. It measures the strength of the electromagnetic pulse that is detected and thus shows the distance of the detected lightning. There are some devices that can also calculate the direction of the storm's movement when there are multiple lightning.