A method for detecting lightning activity comprising: receiving, at a waveform sensor, waveform data indicative of the lightning activity from one or more signal converters, the waveform data comprising a group of electromagnetic waveforms; filtering, at a processor disposed within the waveform sensor, the waveform data to remove noise frequencies, the filtering comprising: transmitting one or more uncompressed portions of the waveform data to a server computing device; receiving digital filter data from the server computing device, the digital filter data based on the one or more uncompressed portions of waveform data; removing, by the processor, one or more frequencies from the waveform data based on the digital filter data; compressing, at the processor, the filtered waveform data, the compressing comprising: (i) selecting one or more points on a waveform, an amplitude value of each of the one or more points being above a predetermined threshold; and (ii) determining an amplitude value of a first one of the selected points and a change in amplitude between each of the selected points; (iii) discarding one or more points on the waveform that are not selected; and (iv) storing the determined amplitude value of the first one of the selected points and a change in amplitude of each of the selected points in a packet message; and transmitting by the waveform sensor, the packet message to the server computing device for analysis to detect lightning activity. receiving, at a waveform sensor, waveform data indicative of the lightning activity from one or more signal converters, the waveform data comprising a group of electromagnetic waveforms; filtering, at a processor disposed within the waveform sensor, the waveform data to remove noise frequencies, the filtering comprising: transmitting one or more uncompressed portions of the waveform data to a server computing device; receiving digital filter data from the server computing device, the digital filter data based on the one or more uncompressed portions of waveform data; removing, by the processor, one or more frequencies from the waveform data based on the digital filter data; compressing, at the processor, the filtered waveform data, the compressing comprising: (i) selecting one or more points on a waveform, an amplitude value of each of the one or more points being above a predetermined threshold; and (ii) determining an amplitude value of a first one of the selected points and a change in amplitude between each of the selected points; (iii) discarding one or more points on the waveform that are not selected; and (iv) storing the determined amplitude value of the first one of the selected points and a change in amplitude of each of the selected points in a packet message; and transmitting by the waveform sensor, the packet message to the server computing device for analysis to detect lightning activity. transmitting one or more uncompressed portions of the waveform data to a server computing device; receiving digital filter data from the server computing device, the digital filter data based on the one or more uncompressed portions of waveform data; removing, by the processor, one or more frequencies from the waveform data based on the digital filter data; compressing, at the processor, the filtered waveform data, the compressing comprising: (i) selecting one or more points on a waveform, an amplitude value of each of the one or more points being above a predetermined threshold; and (ii) determining an amplitude value of a first one of the selected points and a change in amplitude between each of the selected points; (iii) discarding one or more points on the waveform that are not selected; and (iv) storing the determined amplitude value of the first one of the selected points and a change in amplitude of each of the selected points in a packet message; and (i) selecting one or more points on a waveform, an amplitude value of each of the one or more points being above a predetermined threshold; and (ii) determining an amplitude value of a first one of the selected points and a change in amplitude between each of the selected points; (iii) discarding one or more points on the waveform that are not selected; and (iv) storing the determined amplitude value of the first one of the selected points and a change in amplitude of each of the selected points in a packet message; and transmitting by the waveform sensor, the packet message to the server computing device for analysis to detect lightning activity.