Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

What is 'Bomb Cyclone', the winter storm wreaking havoc across US?

Airline cancellations topped 5,700 U.S. flights on Friday as massive winter storms snarled airport operations around the United States and frustrated tens of thousands of holiday travellers.

What is 'Bomb Cyclone', the winter storm wreaking havoc across US?

An arctic blast that has gripped much of the United States this week, disrupting daily life and holiday travel for millions of Americans, was expected to produce the coldest Christmas Eve on record in several cities from Pennsylvania to Florida.

From the Canadian to the Mexican border and coast to coast, some 240 million people in all were under winter weather warnings and advisories of some sort on Friday, according to the weather service.


The extreme cold weather is due to a phenomenon called a "bomb cyclone".

The US National Weather Service said this "once in a generation type event" has the power to turn deadly and is already breaking cold-weather records - with temperatures falling to minus 53 degrees Celsius (minus 63 Fahrenheit) in western Canada, minus 38 in Minnesota and minus 13 in Dallas.

It's even snowing in subtropical northern Florida.

What is Bomb Cyclone?

A bomb cyclone, or bombogenesis, is a quickly intensifying storm that occurs when air pressure drops 20 millibars or more within 24 hours.

This usually happens when a warm air mass collides with a cold one, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

This time air from the Arctic ploughed into tropical air from the Gulf of Mexico, forming a depression bringing rain and snow.

What makes this storm extraordinary is just how fast the pressure dropped -- 40 millibars in 24 hours, according to meteorologist Yann Amice of analysts Weather'n'co.

"This has led to the development of extreme storm conditions near the core of the low pressure system, with particularly harsh conditions," said Cyrille Duchesne, a meteorologist from the French Weather Channel.

The unprecedented nature of this storm comes from the intensity and extremity of its low temperatures, Duchesne said.

"That's what makes it exceptional," he said.

The storm has sparked a "polar vortex plunge" where a particularly cold air mass from the Arctic heads south toward the lower, warmer latitudes.

The result is a vertiginous drop in temperatures -- in Denver, for example, temperatures dropped 33 degrees Celsius in barely seven hours.

Combined with blizzards and snow, the wind chill in regions like the Great Plains can make it feel like minus 55 degrees.

The US National Weather Service warned that such cold can lead to frostbite on exposed skin within a matter of minutes, hypothermia and even death if exposed to these conditions for too long.

This makes travel of any kind "dangerous" and even "impossible", it added.

This weekend the low pressure currently hanging over the Great Plains and Midwest should move north towards Quebec, likely bringing strong winds and heavy snow before moving on to the northeastern US, which should not be quite so severely affected, Duchesne said.

(Reuters)

More For You

Sri Lanka forms committee to address UK sanctions
Anura Kumara Dissanayake

Sri Lanka forms committee to address UK sanctions

THE Sri Lanka government on Wednesday (2) formed a committee to recommend measures regarding the UK's decision to impose sanctions on three former military commanders who led the campaign that crushed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009.

Health minister Nalinda Jayatissa told reporters that foreign minister Vijitha Herath, justice minister Harshana Nanayakkara and deputy minister of defence Aruna Jayasekara would comprise the committee that would consult experts for the purpose.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gujarat-blast-ANI

The blast caused the factory’s concrete roof to collapse, scattering debris and body parts across the area, officials confirmed. (Photo: ANI)

ANI

Death toll rises to 21 in Gujarat firework factory explosion

AN EXPLOSION at an illegal firecracker factory in Gujarat's Deesa town killed 21 people and injured several others on Tuesday, officials said.

The blast caused the factory’s concrete roof to collapse, scattering debris and body parts across the area, officials confirmed.

Keep ReadingShow less
Child benefit payments set to rise for UK families

Child benefit, normally paid every four weeks directly into bank accounts, has undergone significant changes in recent months (Photo: Getty Images)

Child benefit payments set to rise for UK families

MILLIONS of British families are set to receive a financial boost as child benefit payments increase from April 7, according to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

From next week, parents will receive £26.05 per week for the eldest or only child, amounting to £1,354.60 annually - up from the current rate of £25.60. For each additional child, payments will rise to £17.25 weekly, totalling £897 per year - an increase from the present £16.95 rate. This represents a 1.7 per cent increase across all payment categories.

Keep ReadingShow less
Anant Ambani Walks 140 Km in Spiritual Tribute on 30th Birthday

Anant’s padyatra is a reflection of the larger cultural fabric of India

Getty

Anant Ambani embarks on a 140-kilometer spiritual journey on foot to celebrate 30th birthday

Anant Ambani, a director of Reliance Industries Limited and a prominent figure in Indian industry, has chosen a unique and spiritual way to mark his 30th birthday. As part of his celebrations, he is currently undertaking a padyatra—a traditional pilgrimage on foot—from Jamnagar to Dwarka, covering a distance of approximately 140 kilometres. The journey reflects his devotion to Lord Dwarkadhish, the presiding deity of the Dwarkadhish Temple in the city of Dwarka.

Anant began his journey from his family’s residence in Moti Khavdi, Jamnagar, and has been progressing steadily for the past five days. Walking an estimated 10-12 kilometres each night, he travels under the protection of Z+ security and local police, ensuring his safety during this significant journey. The padyatra is expected to take between seven to nine days in total, with plans to conclude at the Dwarkadhish Temple in time for his birthday on April 10.

Keep ReadingShow less
New TB action plan proposed as cases surge

Government urged experts to come forward to help draw up a new five-year TB action plan. (Photo: Getty Images)

New TB action plan proposed as cases surge

BRITAIN on Wednesday (2) urged health experts and sufferers of tuberculosis (TB) to come forward to help draw up a new five-year action plan as it deals with record rises in the disease.

In 2023, England recorded its largest annual increase (11 per cent) in cases since enhanced surveillance began in 2000.

Keep ReadingShow less