In-cloud lightning, tornado "precursor"?

[Dustin Wilcox]

Of all the storms I have seen produce tornadoes, I only recall noticing a fluctuation in the number of bolts in relation to tornadogenisis once, (though I have never specifically really looked for a fluctuation); for some reason I recall on 3/28 last year the supercell that went on to produce the bird city tornado had a drastic increase in the number of CG bolts, as the supercell produced the first tornado. I specifically remember the Updraft base spitting out CG bolts from the same area at a rate I don't ever recall seeing with any other storm, especially from the same area, as was the case. As I recall the influx of bolts lasted for only a short period of time, and from the time of the first tornado lifting I don't recall an unusual amount of bolts. Perhaps/likely nothing more than coincidence, or something scientifically beyond my level of caring, just a simple observation that I recall.

This poor video grab is an example of what for about 10 minutes, was pretty much a constant scene, as the first tornado touched down.

 

[Gerard Jebaily]

These are all good examples of times where intense lightning was seen prior to tornado formation. However the consistency and freqency of this happening with tornadic storms and claiming it as an indicator or precursor does not seem accurate enough to even call it plausible IMO.

 

[Kevin Bowman]

here is a study i found for CG and violent tornadoes

http://www.met.tamu.edu/people/faculty/orville/PerezOrville.pdf