Luxembourg sees 1,200 lightning strikes a year on average

After researchers at the Technical University of Munich recently issued a report on the number of trees destroyed globally by lightning strikes in a year – a staggering 320 million – we reached out to experts at Meteolux to learn more about lightning activity and its potential impact in the Grand Duchy.

According to data from the national meteorological service, 1,415 lightning strikes were recorded in the Grand Duchy in 2024. This puts the year slightly above average when compared to the reference period of 2013–2024, during which the estimated rate was 1,200 strikes per year.

Since 2013, a total of 10 lightning strikes in Luxembourg have been recorded in the European Severe Weather Database (ESWD) as having caused damage. Nine of the ten recorded strikes resulted in fires, most often affecting residential buildings. The only exception was a 2014 incident in Grevenmacher, where lightning damaged a tree and blocked a road, causing vegetation damage.

It's important to note that the ESWD relies on voluntary reporting, meaning it reflects only confirmed and submitted cases. Additional lightning strikes may have caused damage without being recorded.

Neither Meteolux nor the Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS) maintain any additional statistics on lightning-related damage, whether to people or property.

When asked about regional differences, Meteolux noted that it appears that the higher terrain of the Éislek region draws more lightning strikes, particularly in Wincrange, Weiswampach, Eschdorf, and Heiderscheid.

The Moselle region, on the other hand, seems the least prone to lightning.

These statistics are based on measurements from the Belgian Lightning Location System, or BELLS in short, which is operated by Belgian weather authorities. Luxembourg's lightning capturing unit is integrated into this system, meaning data from BELLS also includes Luxembourg's lightning strikes.