Tempestra
by Moth_SKW
Tempestra changes how thunderstorm lightning looks, replacing the straight vanilla bolt with a branching, arcing strike that can split before it reaches the ground.
What it does
The mod swaps the normal lightning visual for a custom effect. Instead of one simple straight bolt, each strike follows a thinner, more curved and broken path, and some strikes split into separate branches that can reach the ground at several points. The sky glows before the strike lands, and multiple strikes close together make a storm feel far more dramatic.
Storm types are also reworked. Ordinary storms keep occurring but grow more intense and produce lightning more often. Medium storms are slightly more active than ordinary ones, and heavy storms are much more intense, filling the sky with lightning. The aim is to make a storm feel like it changes the atmosphere of the world rather than being rain with the occasional strike, without looking out of place in Minecraft.
The mod requires Butterfly API. Tempestra is built for Fabric only and targets 1.20.1, where the latest file is 1.1.0, published 2026-06-04. Only the client needs it, while a server may run without it. It is released under the Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 4.0 license, so it is not open source, but the source code is public.
Key features
Branching lightning strikes
Bolts take a curved, broken path with arcs and splits, replacing the single straight vanilla line.
Stronger storm types
Medium and heavy storms raise the rate of lightning, with heavy storms filling the sky with strikes.
Glowing sky before strikes
The sky lights up briefly before a bolt lands, making each strike easier to notice from a distance.
Close multiple strikes
Several bolts landing close together read as a dramatic sequence rather than isolated flashes.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Requirements
Dependencies declared by the latest file for each loader.
Required 1
How it compares
Fractal Lightning is Fabric-only, open source under the MIT License, and supports 1.20 – 26.1.2, with the client required and the server optional. Oxidizing Lightning Rods is Fabric-only for 1.19.2 – 1.19.3, open source under the GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0 only, and needs both client and server. Lightning Flash is Fabric-only for 1.20.1 – 26.2, needs both client and server, and is not open source, under All rights reserved.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tempestra | Fabric | 1.20.1 | Client required, server optional | 2026-06-04 |
| Fractal Lightning | Fabric | 1.20 – 26.1.2 | Client required, server optional | 2026-05-05 |
| Oxidizing Lightning Rods | Fabric | 1.19.2 – 1.19.3 | Client and server | 2022-12-10 |
| Lightning Flash | Fabric | 1.20.1 – 26.2 | Client and server | 2026-08-16 |
Questions
Does Tempestra need Butterfly API?
Does the server need Tempestra installed?
Does Tempestra change storm sounds or rain?
In the catalog
Tempestra is one of 12,078 Decoration mods on ModsFinder, and one of 6,982 Decoration mods for Fabric. 34,764 mods support Minecraft 1.20.1.
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What the author says
Tempestra is a visual overhaul of thunderstorms and lightning. The main goal of this mod is to make thunderstorms feel more interesting and powerful, without making them feel out of place in Minecraft. Vanilla lightning is very simple, so Tempestra changes it into a much thinner and more natural-looking bolt that…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/tempestra
- Owner
- Moth_SKW
- Published
- 2026-05-21
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-06-04
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15