EVEARLYS, the UHF interferometric lightning detection system by SELERYS, catches more than 99% of total lightning activity inside a storm cell.
SELERYS‘ EVEARLYS lightning detection interferometer reads the electrical activity building inside a storm cell long before a standard low-frequency lightning detector or a traditional rainfall radar would register it. EVEARLYS uses UHF interferometry, a technique that pinpoints a lightning signal’s origin by comparing its arrival across multiple antenna panels. Our interferometer picks up intra-cloud flashes as well as cloud-to-ground strokes. That picture feeds directly into CIRRUS, so operators can better anticipate when a storm is about to turn severe. Construction and mining sites, airports, rocket launching sites, energy and telecom operators, cloud seeding programs, and outdoor event organizers all rely on that early warning to act way before the first lightning strike.
EVEARLYS at a glance:
- Detects over 99% of total lightning activity across the coverage area, intra-cloud, cloud-to-cloud, and cloud-to-ground combined
- Detects the risk of lightning strike well before the first cloud-to-ground lightning, thereby far surpassing traditional low-frequency (cloud-to-ground) sensors.
- Reads a storm cell's electrical buildup before that cloud is dense enough for a standard rainfall radar to see it
- Works alongside the SKYDETECT radar or any X-Band radar, adding a lightning-activity read to a storm cell the radar has already picked out (SELERYS patents the technology coupling interferometry with X-Band radars)
- Sends automatic SMS, email, or voice alerts when a weather threshold is crossed
- Requires only four lightweight panels per installation, connected over GSM, ADSL, or satellite
EVEARLYS Use Cases by Industry
EVEARLYS’s warning isn’t limited to weather-sensitive industries alone. Any operation where a lightning strike can shut down equipment, endanger a crew, or force an evacuation benefits from knowing a storm cell is about to turn severe before it does. That covers a wide range of sites, from airports and space rocket launch sites (as referenced by the CNES Kourou Space Center) to construction yards and cloud seeding areas, each acting on the same alert differently.
Where EVEARLYS is used
- Airports and space rocket launch sites use EVEARLYS’s lightning warning to delay ground operations or hold a launch countdown until a storm cell clears.
- Construction crews get more lead time to secure a site and get off exposed structures ahead of a storm.
- In cloud seeding, EVEARLYS helps decide when to launch SELERYS’s LAICO balloon and drone, based on how mature a target storm cell has become.
- Energy sites, such as solar installations and substations, use EVEARLYS’s early warning since a single lightning strike can mean hours of downtime.
- Telecommunications crews get advance notice for exposed tower equipment, while mining operations, especially open-pit and surface sites, pull crews and equipment off exposed ground before conditions turn dangerous.
- Outdoor leisure and entertainment operators use EVEARLYS’s warnings to start clearing a crowd, for example at a music festival, while it’s still safe.
Total Lightning Detection and SKYDETECT Integration
EVEARLYS reads a storm cell’s electrical activity through UHF interferometry, comparing how a lightning signal arrives at four separate antenna panels to pinpoint where inside the cloud it originated. That gives EVEARLYS a detection rate of more than 99% of total lightning activity in its coverage area, including both cloud-to-ground strokes and intra-cloud flashes that never reach the ground.
Once SKYDETECT has picked out a developing storm cell, EVEARLYS reads its lightning activity to judge how mature it has become; the two systems diagnose a storm together. EVEARLYS’s real speed advantage shows up against a standard rainfall radar: it catches a cloud’s electrical buildup long before that cloud is dense enough to register on regular radar or any traditional Low Frequency / Cloud to Ground lightning detector.
EVEARLYS detection capabilities
- Total lightning detection rate of more than 99%, intra-cloud and cloud-to-ground combined
- Diagnoses a storm cell together with SKYDETECT once the radar has already picked it out
- EVEARLYS catches 10,000x more flash sources than any other operational sensor on the market
- VHF/UHF Interferometry is recognized by meteorological institutions including NASA and EUMETSAT
- Protected by 3 patents (architecture, coupling with X-Band radar, coupling with ToA data treatment for full, unprecedented real total lightning mapping)
Automated Alerts and Remote Monitoring
EVEARLYS runs its own risk-assessment algorithm, scoring all lightning activity against operator-set thresholds. Because scoring runs continuously, EVEARLYS can fire an alert the instant conditions cross the threshold, reaching the right person even if they are away from the screen.
Operators can monitor and manage EVEARLYS remotely from a smartphone, tablet, or computer. The system also connects directly into CIRRUS, SELERYS’s weather management software, alongside SKYDETECT radar or the SELERYS’ cloud seeding vectors, LAICO balloon and drone fleet, giving a single combined view of a site’s weather risk.
CIRRUS also keeps a searchable archive of all the data logged by EVEARLYS (a year or more of past activity by date), so a team can pull up the records for any earlier storm. Access is role-based: field staff, control-room operators, and management each get their own account with separate permissions.
Alert and monitoring features
- Custom thresholds scored continuously against live lightning activity
- Automatic alerts by SMS, email, or voice call the instant a threshold is crossed
- Remote access and management from any smartphone, tablet, or computer
- Direct integration with CIRRUS, SKYDETECT, and the LAICO balloon and drone fleet management.
Technical Specifications
EVEARLYS has a -97 dBm acquisition threshold and a 10-microsecond processing resolution, maintained over time through continuous UHF-band monitoring and both manual and automatic calibration.
As a storm forms, lightning activity can spike within seconds. Thanks to EVEARLYS’ combination of a faint-signal threshold and microsecond-level processing, it can process the detected spike in real time and issue an alert almost as soon as a lightning strike happens.
EVEARLYS by the numbers
- Detection capacity: 99% of total lightning activity detected, intra-cloud and cloud-to-ground combined
- EVEARLYS catches 10,000x more flash sources than any other operational sensor on the market
- Acquisition threshold: -97 dBm, meaning that EVEARLYS can pick up even a faint radio signal
- Processing resolution: 10 microseconds
- Installation specs: 4 panels, each 1.3m x 1m and 7kg, with a 180° field of view per panel
- Uninterrupted power supply: at least 4 hours, so detection continues through an outage
- International patents: 3 patents (architecture, coupling with X-Band radar, coupling with ToA data treatment for full, unprecedented real total lightning mapping)
Installing an EVEARLYS System
Every EVEARLYS installation starts with a site assessment. SELERYS confirms each of the four panels has a clear 180° view of the sky, checks power access, and identifies the best connection type for the site, since that decides whether the system runs over GSM, ADSL, or satellite once it’s live. SELERYS mounts the hardware once those checks are done, and remote monitoring works the same afterward regardless of the site’s own internet connection.
EVEARLYS can also be coupled directly with SKYDETECT radar at the same site, combining lightning detection with atmospheric monitoring in a single installation. That combination feeds both systems into the same CIRRUS dashboard, giving operators one combined view of a site’s weather risk instead of switching between two separate tools.
Installation essentials
- Site assessment for each of the four panels’ 180° sky view
- Four lightweight panels per installation, 1.3m x 1m and 7kg each
- Connection over GSM, ADSL, or satellite, whichever fits the site
- Optional coupling with SKYDETECT radar at the same site
EVEARLYS and SKYDETECT: the Differences between the two systems
| Category | EVEARLYS | SKYDETECT |
|---|---|---|
| Detection method | UHF interferometry, reading a storm cell's electrical activity | X-Band radar (6kW antenna), reading a cloud's reflectivity |
| What it reveals | How electrically active a storm cell is | Where a storm cell is and how it's moving |
| Coverage | Four panels, 180° field of view each, 360° total | 30km radius, full half-sphere |
| Installation | Site assessment, four lightweight panels | Site assessment, single day, on a tower, mast, or building |
| Backup power | Minimum 4-hour UPS | Optional autonomous power supply for remote sites |
| Best at | Catching electrical buildup before a cloud is dense enough for rainfall radar | Tracking a storm cell's location and movement in real time |
The two systems are not interchangeable. A site that tracks only radar reflectivity can miss the electrical buildup of a storm, while a site that monitors only lightning will have no data on the location of the storm cell or the direction of its movement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does EVEARLYS track total lightning activity instead of only cloud-to-ground strikes?
Because intra-cloud lightning, the electrical activity inside a cloud that never reaches the ground, represents 90% of the total lightning activity and typically builds up way before a storm produces its first cloud-to-ground strike or its first rain. A system that only watches for cloud-to-ground strikes misses that earlier signal; tracking total lightning activity is what gives EVEARLYS its early-warning lead time. Each minute counts.
Does EVEARLYS need a SKYDETECT installation to operate?
No. EVEARLYS detects lightning and sends alerts on its own; SKYDETECT isn’t required. Coupling the two at the same site is optional, and it adds a combined lightning-plus-radar view of a storm cell.
What makes EVEARLYS different from other lightning detection systems on the market?
Unlike most commercial lightning detection systems, which rely on LF or HF sensor networks, EVEARLYS uses UHF interferometry, a patented SELERYS architecture. It is positioned as the only industrial UHF interferometry system currently sold commercially. Our solution detects and tracks 10,000 times more flash sources than any other industrial solution on the market.
How experienced is SELERYS in building storm and lightning detection technology?
SELERYS’ team brings decades of expertise and recognized scientific leadership in lightning detection and atmospheric monitoring. With numerous successful deployments across multiple continents, our team members have proven their expertise in diverse and demanding environments worldwide. This confirmed international experience allows us to offer reliable solutions tailored to our partners’ meteorological challenges.
What happens if EVEARLYS loses power?
A built-in UPS keeps EVEARLYS running for at least 4 hours on its own power. That matters because a lightning-heavy storm is exactly the kind of event that also knocks out grid power, right when detection is needed most.
Is EVEARLYS useful only for cloud seeding operations?
No. Cloud seeding is one of at least six sectors that use EVEARLYS, alongside airports, space centers and rocket launching sites, construction, energy, telecommunications, mining, and outdoor events and leisure. Any site where advanced lightning warning affects safety or operations can benefit from SELERYS’s interferometer, whether or not cloud seeding is involved.
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