The sign that a hurricane is about to get furious Lightning flashes in Hurricane Dorian were larger, more energetic before intensifying Tags: GOES-16 (GOES East) spotted lightning in the eye of Hurricane Dorian the morning of September 1, 2019. Researchers have shown that the amount of lightning in the inner core and outer rainbands can indicate whether a storm will rapidly intensify. Powerful hurricanes grab attention from the destruction wielded by wind and storm surge, but its lightning gives forecasters an early indication of whether the storm will intensify or weaken, according to new NASA research. Although hurricane lightning is often less frequent than our typical Jacksonville thunderstorms, it can be a useful tool for forecasting hurricane intensity.