Lightning TrackerDetroit storms: live alerts, hail & tornado history
Live watches and warnings for Detroit, MI, the 48-hour thunderstorm outlook, and every hail, damaging-wind and tornado report within 25 miles since 2016.
Live alerts for Detroit, MI
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Storm outlook, next 48 hours
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Severe weather in Detroit by the numbers
Detroit gets regular severe thunderstorms: since 2016, spotters and emergency managers have filed 340 severe-weather reports within 25 miles of the city — 45 hail reports, 284 damaging-wind reports and 11 tornado reports. On average that is 9.0 days a year with at least one report.
Storm season here peaks in June, July, August, when 75% of all reports were filed.
In the last 12 months there were 4 hail reports, 36 wind reports and 3 tornado reports around Detroit; the largest hail was 1.25″ (half dollar) on Jun 10, 2026.
Latest storm reports near Detroit
| Date | Report | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 3, 2026 | Damaging wind | 2 mi NE · Wayne Co. |
| Sep 3, 2026 | Tornado | 3 mi N · Wayne Co. |
| Sep 2, 2026 | Damaging wind | 9 mi NE · Wayne Co. |
| Jul 3, 2026 | Damaging wind | 7 mi E · Wayne Co. |
| Jun 16, 2026 | Hail 1.00″ | 19 mi NW · Oakland Co. |
| Jun 14, 2026 | Hail 1.00″ | 22 mi SW · Monroe Co. |
| Jun 11, 2026 | Damaging wind | 10 mi NW · Oakland Co. |
| Jun 10, 2026 | Hail 1.25″ | 11 mi W · Wayne Co. |
| Jun 10, 2026 | Damaging wind | 24 mi NW · Oakland Co. |
| May 19, 2026 | Hail 1.00″ | 10 mi NW · Wayne Co. |
One line per day and type — the closest report that day. Distance and direction from the city centre. The latest SPC reports are preliminary until NOAA finalises them.
Storm reports by year
Storm season in Detroit
All hail, wind and tornado reports within 25 miles, 2016–2026, by month.
Hail in Detroit
Detroit averages 2.2 days a year with hail reported nearby. The biggest stone on record since 2016 was 1.75 inches — about the size of a golf ball — reported 20 miles from the city centre on Jul 20, 2023. Hail of 1 inch (quarter size) or larger is what makes a thunderstorm severe; see the hail size chart.
Tornadoes near Detroit
There have been 11 tornado reports within 25 miles of Detroit since 2016; the strongest was rated EF1 (Jun 5, 2024, 20 miles from the city centre). A tornado warning means a tornado is occurring or imminent — take shelter immediately.
Storm alerts for Detroit on your iPhone
Lightning Tracker shows storm risk around you, live severe-weather alerts and how close the storm is — free on the App Store.
Storm trackers near Detroit
Questions about storms in Detroit
Does Detroit get a lot of severe storms?
Detroit averages 9.0 days a year with at least one hail, damaging-wind or tornado report within 25 miles, based on NOAA Storm Prediction Center reports 2016–2025.
When is storm season in Detroit?
Most severe-weather reports around Detroit come in June, July, August.
What is the biggest hail recorded near Detroit?
1.75 inches (golf ball size) on Jul 20, 2023, 20 miles from the city centre.
Have tornadoes hit near Detroit?
Yes — 11 tornado reports within 25 miles since 2016, the strongest rated EF1 on Jun 5, 2024.
How do I get storm alerts for Detroit?
The live panel on this page shows every active National Weather Service watch and warning for Detroit, MI. For alerts on your phone, Lightning Tracker for iPhone shows storm risk and warnings for your location.
How this page works: storm reports are NOAA Storm Prediction Center local storm reports (final database 2016–2025, preliminary daily reports after that) within 25 miles of Detroit, MI. They are reports of hail, damaging wind and tornadoes — not lightning strike counts, which no free public dataset provides at city level. Live alerts come from the National Weather Service API, the outlook from Open-Meteo forecast models. Updated Oct 1, 2026.