Bomb Cyclone

Bomb Cyclone

Part of: Prelims and GS-I Geography 

Context: Recently, ‘Bomb cyclone’ hit eastern US, which triggered transport chaos and power outages.

What is a Bomb Cyclone?

• A bomb cyclone is a large, intense midaltitude storm that has low pressure at its center, weather fronts and an array of associated weather, from blizzards to severe thunderstorms to heavy precipitation.
• Bomb cyclones put forecasters on high alert, because they can produce significant harmful impacts.

Reasons for the Formation:

• This can happen when a cold air mass collides with a warm air mass, such as air over warm ocean waters. The formation of this rapidly strengthening weather system is a process called bombogenesis.
• It occurs when a midlatitude cyclone rapidly intensifies, dropping at least 24 millibars over 24 hours.

Difference between Bomb Cyclone and a Hurricane

• Hurricanes tend to form in tropical areas and are powered by warm seas. For this reason, they’re most common in summer or early fall, when seawater is warmest.
• Bomb cyclones generally occur during colder months.
• Hurricanes form in tropical waters, while bomb cyclones form over the northwestern Atlantic, northwestern Pacific and sometimes in the Mediterranean Sea.

News Source: TH