I have an iPhone with The Weather Channel app. During stormy weather the app will pop up a message telling me that lightning has struck so many miles from my current location. I know where it’s getting my location data, but how does it know that lightning struck in some random place? It does not appear to be using a sensing device installed locally on my actual phone.
Your app (my AccuWeather app gives the same sort of alerts) is undoubtedly tapping into information from one or both of the lightning detection networks described on this web page.
If one watches a weather broadcast (such as on a local TV station, or The Weather Channel) during a severe thunderstorm outbreak, they will often display locations for lightning strikes as part of a radar image of the storms. That data comes from the same source.
That same source is also used by public facilities (youth sports and pools in particular) to warn people when they need to seek shelter.
ETA: Scout camps also use them for lightning calls to get people out of the lake or pool.
Government weather control researchers are playing a game but they’re still not great at aiming. They’ll get you one day though
[Moderating]
Please hold off on the joke answers early in an FQ thread.
At home we use a dedicated lightning app (Lightning Alarm) to warn us when we need to get out of the pool and inside. Monsoon storms can form and move in really fast.