The behavior of zinc flow in the zinc bath plays an important role in hot galvanizing process, which has an important influence on the temperature distribution, the composition of zinc coat, the control of air knife, and so on, thus affecting the surface quality of zinc products (surface oxidation, rake slag). However, due to the high temperature, strong activity, opacification of the zinc bath and harsh, complex industrial environment, it is difficult to directly measure the flow behavior of zinc in the zinc bath through conventional methods. In this work, based on the principle of electromagnetic induction, Lorentz force velocimetry (LFV) method was used to measure and analyze the velocity of zinc flow in the bath during the galvanizing process for the first time. The LFV has the characteristics and advantages of non-contact, online and continuous measurement, and can realize the real-time quantitative measurement of molten metal flow by reasonable design and ingenious implementation. The key parameters of LFV, such as the gap between device and molten zinc, penetration depth and geometry of the applied model, were discussed through numerical analysis, the LFV device suitable for the characteristics of zinc plating process was designed, and the in-plant measurement was carried out. The results show that the fluctuation range of zinc flow velocity in the zinc bath is almost 0.13~0.20 m/s, which is within typical range referenced in previous studies. In addition, the flow behavior and flow field characteristics of zinc liquid were analyzed, and these discussions reflect the capacity of zinc slag or ash in the zinc flow at the monitoring position. The work promoted in this study revealed that this LFV method can measure the surface velocity of zinc liquid in real time, on-line and quantitatively, which provides a new way for the velocity monitoring of high temperature liquid metal in metallurgical industry.