Power systems and their primary components, mostly the transmission and distribution of overhead lines, substations, and other power facilities, are distributed in space and are exposed to various atmospheric and meteorological conditions. These conditions carry a certain level of risk for reliable electrical power delivery. Various atmospheric hazards endanger the operation of power systems, where the most significant are thunderstorms, wildfire events, and floods which can cause various ranges of disturbances, faults, and damages to the power grid, or even negatively affect the quality of life. By utilizing a weather monitoring and early warning system, it is possible to ensure a faster reaction against different weather-caused fault detections and elimination, to ensure a faster and more adequate preparation for fighting extreme weather events, while maintaining overhead line protection and fault elimination. Moreso, it is possible to bypass overhead lines that have the highest risk of unfavorable meteorological events and hazards, and reroute the energy, thus providing electricity to endangered areas in times of need while minimizing blackouts, and consequently, improving the quality of human life. This paper will present an analysis of the various risks of atmospheric phenomena, in the meteorological and climate context, and discuss various power system components, the power system control, operations, planning, and power quality. A concept with the main functionalities and data sources needed for the establishment of an early warning weather hazard system will be proposed. The proposed solution can be used as a utility function in power system control to mitigate risks to the power system due to atmospheric influences and ongoing climate change.

The Mediterranean is one of the most cyclogenetic regions in the world. One of the most significant cyclone characteristics that can influence power systems is lightning. Except in the Mediterranean basin, favorable conditions for convection development and lightning appearance can be developed in other warm and moist conditions and in the mountain area. Every season, heavy lightning appears in Croatia, a small Mediterranean country through which the Dinaric Alps stretch. Lightning can cause various damages to the power system network, but also cause wildfire that can lead to additional enormous damages. It is well known that lightning can be very well forecasted by combining different meteorological models and satellite data. Various satellite data can also be used in forest fire monitoring, analysis, and risk prediction. Among the others, fire spreading depends on the vegetation and soil moisture conditions that can also be obtained by satellite. Some climate projections indicate that in the future, it is possible to expect more extreme conditions, more thunderstorms on one side, and more droughts on the other side. Thunderstorms can cause fire development and spread, especially when there is not enough humidity for rain and showers. During the drought, due to soil moisture decrease and vegetation dryness, wildfire spreading becomes easier daily. This paper will present the analysis of lightning-induced wildfires, endangered power system components in Croatia, and a climatic review of wildfires. A method for wildfire protection, vegetation growth monitoring, and post-fire landscape recovery monitoring will be suggested. Conducted analysis and suggested methods can be applied in power system planning and everyday operation through N-k (N-1) analysis. In the analysis, various satellite, meteorological, climatological data, lightning location system, and power system data are used.