The invention discloses a performance on-line monitoring device for a power distribution switch cabinet 
lightning arrester and a monitoring method thereof. The monitoring device comprises a 
microprocessor circuit, temperature 
signal conditioning circuits, current 
signal conditioning circuits, an in-cabinet temperature 
signal conditioning circuit, a display circuit, a keyboard circuit, a power supply circuit, a 
communication interface circuit in 
bidirectional communication connection with the 
microprocessor circuit, temperature sensors, current sensors and an in-cabinet temperature sensor; the temperature 
signal conditioning circuits, the current 
signal conditioning circuits, the in-cabinet temperature 
signal conditioning circuit, the display circuit, the keyboard circuit and the power supply circuit are in one-way communication connection with the 
microprocessor circuit; the temperature sensors and the current sensors are arranged on a 
lightning arrester in a power distribution switch cabinet, and the in-cabinet temperature sensor is arranged in the power distribution switch cabinet; and the microprocessor circuit performs on-line monitoring and a performance judgment of the 
lightning arrester according to acquired 
monitoring data. Accurate, timely and efficient on-line monitoring of performance of the 
lightning arrester of the power distribution switch cabinet is achieved, and, through utilization of a total leakage current of the 
lightning arrester and a combination with temperature data of a body of the 
lightning arrester, whether a fault occurs in the lightning arrester is comprehensively determined, so 
safe operation of switch equipment is ensured.