So, this is first mentioned when the Kelvin happens upon the red matter-generated anomaly through which the Narada is travelling back through time. It's a very poetic little turn of phrase, and we know it's red matter-related because we see it again when Nero destroys Vulcan with it and a third time when Spock creates the least deadly black hole ever inside the Narada.
Here's the thing, though; we hear mention of it twice more, in areas where it makes no sense. Uhura intercepts a report of a Klingon planet being attacked by such a thing, and then Vulcan reports it as well. But why? The 'lightning storm in space' is what happened when the Narada travelled through time or created black holes, it's got nothing to do with the ship's regular propulsion, and the Narada didn't have it to use against the Klingons. Given that this is the turn of phrase that tips off Kirk before they reach Vulcan (and how likely is it that the Klingon's would say that, anyway?), it seems like kind of an integral plot point, but there's no indication of what, exactly, is generating the effect those times.
Here's the thing, though; we hear mention of it twice more, in areas where it makes no sense. Uhura intercepts a report of a Klingon planet being attacked by such a thing, and then Vulcan reports it as well. But why? The 'lightning storm in space' is what happened when the Narada travelled through time or created black holes, it's got nothing to do with the ship's regular propulsion, and the Narada didn't have it to use against the Klingons. Given that this is the turn of phrase that tips off Kirk before they reach Vulcan (and how likely is it that the Klingon's would say that, anyway?), it seems like kind of an integral plot point, but there's no indication of what, exactly, is generating the effect those times.
