Excessive thunderstorms again?

[KillerJackson82]

@SkipTalbot

As far as we can tell from previous discussions, the sim isn’t using METARs or TAFs for lightning or any clouds it draws. That’s coming entirely from Meteoblue’s numerical forecast model. And it seems that when the forecast model thinks the conditions support the development of possible thunderstorms, the lightning switch gets turned on in the simulator (regardless if there actually are storms present IRL or in the forecast model). Meanwhile, the clouds are coming from a completely different part of the numerical forecast model that probably isn’t talking to the lightning part of the model at all. So the sim draws whatever cloud layers it thinks are appropriate, and if the lightning switch is turned on, those clouds start shooting bolts.

Additional logic needs to be added to the sim to either cull the lightning to areas that have cumulonimbus of X thousands of feet tall, and/or when the lightning switch is turned on, the sim needs to generate some corresponding cumulonimbus of sufficient height. Because it seems that lightning is coming out of the wrong cloud types, and the afternoon pop-up Cbs that frequent places like Florida are just missing entirely.

That’s right, Meteoblue! Thanks for the info, that is how it seems to be happening. Plus one for the refined logic in how it’s currently being done.