The key ingredients for a storm to undergo bombogenesis are an unstable atmosphere, temperature differences and high-speed winds in the upper atmosphere.
What raises a common winter storm to the level of ‘bomb cyclone’? It’s all about rapid, sharp changes in atmospheric pressure – and the scientists who coined the term meant to highlight their power.
Acacia Pepler, Australian Bureau of Meteorology; Andrew Dowdy, Australian Bureau of Meteorology; Eun-Pa Lim, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, and Pandora Hope, Australian Bureau of Meteorology
The US was hit by a ‘bomb cyclone’ last week, bringing icy cold and driving snow. These storms develop very rapidly, forming outside the tropics, typically on continental east coasts in winter.