Bringing earlier local thunderstorm warnings to safety-critical operations

Senseca UK, former Biral, introduces BTD-1, a compact thunderstorm warning system designed to give operators earlier visibility of developing electrical storm conditions in exposed outdoor environments. Rather than only reporting lightning after a strike has occurred, the system is designed to identify atmospheric conditions associated with overhead storm development, helping users act sooner when safety and operational continuity are at stake.

By monitoring variations in the quasi-electrostatic field, BTD-1 detects cloud-to-ground, intracloud and cloud-to-cloud lightning, while also recognising conditions linked to charged precipitation and strong electric fields. This allows the instrument to combine lightning detection with local pre-warning, making it suitable for applications such as airports, energy sites, industrial facilities, ports, construction areas and other weather-exposed infrastructure.

The system also includes a Severe Storm function that highlights highly active storm cells more likely to be associated with damaging weather, including large hail or strong downdrafts. In this way, BTD-1 is positioned not only as a lightning detector, but as a practical decision-support tool for weather-related risk management.

For operational use, BTD-1 offers a standard detection range of up to 35km, extendable to 83km, fast event updates, four configurable risk levels and integration-ready communication options for warning and control systems. It supports RS422 communication, internal relays, GPS/GNSS timing, and software-based monitoring, diagnostics and data logging through the Lightning Eye platform.

Built for fixed outdoor installation, the unit combines IP66 protection, a robust mechanical design, no moving parts and low maintenance requirements. With its modular, plug-and-play architecture, BTD-1 can be deployed either as a standalone solution or as part of a wider storm warning network.