Lightning most common in Antsla this year
According to an analysis by the Estonian Environment Agency, South Estonia saw the most thunderstorms this year. Overall, there were six more storm days than the 20-year average.
This year, the NORDLIS lightning detection network recorded a total of 29,472 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes in Estonia. That figure is slightly above the 2005–2024 average of just over 27,000 strikes. Compared with last year, there were about 7 percent fewer thunderstorms in 2025.
The first lightning strike of the year was recorded on January 3 on the Paldiski Peninsula in Harju County, but the thunderstorm season officially began in April, with four thunderstorm days and a total of 2,009 lightning strikes. That marks an all-time April record since measurements began in 2005.
July was the stormiest month, accounting for nearly 72 percent of all lightning strikes. While most of the thunderstorm activity in 2025 was concentrated in July, the unusually early and active storms in April stood out sharply from typical seasonal patterns. The stormiest day in April was April 19, with 1,697 strikes recorded — mostly in Ida-Viru County, Lääne-Viru County and South Estonia.
Nationwide, there were 74 thunderstorm days during the 2025 season — six more than the long-term average. The highest number of storms occurred in South, Southeast and Eastern Estonia.
The areas around Antsla (1,289 strikes), Narva (1,094), Tõrva (1,090) and Põltsamaa (1,066) saw the most lightning activity. Several other South and East Estonian towns also recorded significant storm activity, including Võhma (1,051), Narva-Jõesuu (1,042) and Karksi-Nuia (1,018). The fewest strikes were recorded near Kuressaare (187), Kärdla (208) and Tallinn (216).
The highest single-day total near any town was on July 11, when 774 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes were recorded around Antsla. The widest spread of daily lightning activity across urban areas occurred on July 12, with storms reported in nearly one-third of towns nationwide.
The analysis was based on data from the NORDLIS lightning detection network and included the number, timing and geographic distribution of cloud-to-ground lightning strikes, as well as county- and city-level statistics and highlights from the most significant thunderstorm days.
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Editor: Sandra Saar, Marcus Turovski
