GW2000 Lightning Display

GW2000 Lightning Display is a WordPress plugin for displaying live lightning information from a compatible weather-station data source. It is designed for GW2000/Ecowitt-style station data and supports passive data capture together with a REST-based data path.

Features

• Live lightning strike count display.
• Automatic refresh at approximately 5-second intervals.
• Passive URL/data interception support.
• REST data path support.
• Compatible with supported Meteobridge/Ecowitt station data workflows.
• Displays lightning count and latest lightning timing information when supplied by the data source.
• Metric and Imperial display options where supported by the plugin settings.
• WordPress shortcode support.
• Designed for use with a GW2000-compatible weather station.

Installation

1. Upload the plugin ZIP through WordPress → Plugins → Add New Plugin → Upload Plugin.
2. Activate GW2000 Lightning Display.
3. Configure the plugin using its available settings.
4. Make sure your weather station/Meteobridge workflow is supplying the supported lightning data.
5. Add the plugin shortcode to the page or widget where you want the lightning display.

Shortcode

The plugin provides the following shortcode:

[gw2000_lightning]

Place the shortcode in a WordPress page, post, shortcode block, or another WordPress location that supports shortcodes.

Data Sources

Meteobridge / Ecowitt

The plugin is designed to work with supported weather-station data workflows, including Meteobridge and Ecowitt/GW2000 installations. The station or gateway must provide the lightning fields expected by the plugin.

Passive Data Path

The passive path allows the plugin to capture supported weather-station requests and use the lightning values contained in those requests.

REST Data Path

The plugin also supports a REST data path for retrieving supported lightning values when the compatible data source is configured to provide them.

Lightning Data

The display is intended to show the current lightning count and related timing information supplied by the station data. Supported fields include:

• lightning — lightning strike/count value.
• lightning_num — lightning number/count value used by supported data paths.
• lightning_time — time information associated with the latest lightning data.

Automatic Refresh

The display checks for updated data approximately every 5 seconds. The actual freshness of the displayed value depends on how quickly the connected weather station or gateway updates its data.

Station Setup

Configure the weather station and any Meteobridge/Ecowitt gateway so that the supported lightning data reaches the WordPress installation. The exact station configuration depends on the hardware and gateway software being used.

If you are using HTTPS, make sure the station or gateway is able to communicate with the WordPress site over HTTPS and that any required URL paths are reachable.

Troubleshooting

The display shows zero or no lightning data

Verify that the GW2000/weather station is currently reporting lightning data and that the configured data path is reaching WordPress. Check the station/gateway logs and verify that the expected lightning fields are present.

The lightning count does not update

The plugin checks approximately every five seconds, but the source data may not change that frequently. Verify that the station or Meteobridge is producing fresh data and that requests are reaching the WordPress site.

The passive path is not receiving data

Verify that the weather-station request is being sent to the correct WordPress site and that HTTPS, firewall, security, caching, or redirect rules are not blocking the request.

REST data is unavailable

Verify that the REST endpoint is accessible and that WordPress security or firewall software is not blocking the plugin's REST route.

The shortcode displays nothing

Confirm that the plugin is active and that the shortcode is entered exactly as:

[gw2000_lightning]

Privacy

The plugin is designed to display weather-station data configured by the site administrator. It does not require visitor browser geolocation for its lightning display.

Credits

Weather-station data is supplied by the configured compatible station/gateway system, such as GW2000/Ecowitt and supported Meteobridge workflows.

License

This plugin is released under the GNU General Public License, version 2 or later.

GNU GPL v2 License

Disclaimer

Lightning information can change rapidly and station-based data may be delayed or incomplete. This plugin is provided for informational purposes and should not be the sole source used for life-safety, emergency, travel, or other critical decisions. During thunderstorms, follow official National Weather Service and local emergency-management guidance.