An analysis of lightning VHF data around Paris: do they give a significant lead time warning by comparison with LF data?

Vaisala set up an LS8000 network around Paris to demonstrate the high capacity of these new sensors to detect all intra cloud activity. Meteo-France has been provided with these data for research interest since 2010.

In 1998, Meteo France who owned at this time a Safir network around Paris did a first study that showed that this technology didn't give a significant lead time by comparison with LF network detecting only cloud to ground activity.

This new network around Paris was an opportunity to do a new analysis and check if we can have a significant lead time that will improve our warning applications and mainly nowcasting of thunderstorms.

This paper will describe the new study by comparison with French detection network using LS7000 sensors and operated by Meteorage.