The main focus of our storm analysis is to relate both cloud-to-ground lightning acitivity to radar-derived hydrometeor types, and observed cloud top features and lightning activity to detect any precursors of growing storm severity. The investigation is based on several severe thunderstorms which were monitored by a large number of observing systems during the VERTIKATOR (Vertical transport and orography) field experiment in southern Germany during summer of 2002. Our presentation will focus on microburst-producing hailstorms that occurred in late June and early July 2002. In an integrated multi-sensor approach, POLDIRAD polarimetric C-band Doppler radar data, METEOSAT and NOAA satellite imagery, and BLIDS cloud-to-ground lightning data will be combined in order to obtain a complete picture of the underlying severe thunderstorm dynamics.