Abstract: The Doppler effect generated by the motion of the lightning radiation source is added to the localization process, which helps to improve the accuracy of the localization results. Based on the electromagnetic wave Doppler effect and the beam forming algorithm of the array signal, this paper establishes a mathematical model of the Doppler effect on the localization of the received signal, and the lightning radiation source and investigates the influence of the movement speed and direction of the lightning source on the localization results. This paper summarizes the variation relationship of Doppler effect on localization results. The simulation results show that when the lightning development speed increases the received frequency error increases. In particular, the lightning source motion speed in 10⁷−10⁸ m/s (arrow pilot and return phase) generated a surge in the value of the frequency error, the relative error in about 20%. The accuracy of the lightning source radiolocation also decreases dramatically during this process. The angleαbetween the lightning source motion direction and the incoming wave direction is 180°−360°, the change of the received frequency error decreases first and then increases, and the accuracy of the lightning source radiation positioning decreases to different degrees. This study provides a basis for lightning refinement research.