Watch Hurricane Dorian throw lightning strikes off its swirling vortex, signalling a disaster

• Lightning strikes next to Hurricane Dorian’s eye are an indicator that the storm could intensify.
• Hurricanes do produce lightning but it’s usually very infrequent at the center of storm — but that isn’t the case with Dorian.
• The hurricane hasn’t moved from its position in the last two hours and has been battering the Bahamas for over 24 hours.

Hurricane Dorian is wreaking havoc in the Caribbean as it unleashes its lightning storm. The Category 4 hurricane’s violent ‘light show’ is an indicator that there may be more trouble to come and leave destruction in its wake.


The lightning show is a loop of satellite images from the end of August put together by Dakota Smith, a meteorologist at the US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).



Dorian is so massive that it can be seen clearly from the International Space Station (ISS).

Why it’s a big deal

Lightning within the eye, or inner core, of a hurricane isn’t uncommon — but it’s not supposed to strike so often. The frequent lightning strikes are an indicator of the tropical storm deepening in intensity, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).


The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) backs the theory with multiple observations. Intense lightning activity around a hurricane’s eye — the eyewall — is an indicator of storm rearing to grow.

Bahamas under distress for over 24 hours

Dorian was recently downgraded from a Category 5 to a Category 4. But before it started to simmer down, the hurricane caused ‘unprecedented’ damage to the Bahamas, according to the country’s Prime Minister.

The Bahamas were blasted by Dorian for over 24 hours with no respite in sight. The hurricane hasn’t budged from its position for 10 hours.


Dorian is expected to head North and hit the US coast sometime this week, but its path has been very unpredictable. The country’s cancelled more than 1,000 flights and shut down three of its airports in anticipation of the natural disaster.

See also:
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More than 1,000 flights are canceled and 3 airports are shutting down completely as Hurricane Dorian approaches the East Coast

Trump is working with Florida to prepare for Hurricane Dorian, but lashed out when the storm barreled toward Puerto Rico