- essay
- BBC News Brazil
December 26, 2022
Credit, Getty Images
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This is what a house in upstate New York looked like after the bomb cyclone hit
Temperatures drop dramatically in a matter of hours. At the same time, blizzards, storms and winds that can exceed 120 km/h affect entire states.
A natural phenomenon with these characteristics, known as a “bomb cyclone” or “bomb archetype” (as it is called by meteorologists outside of Brazil), has swept through the United States and Canada in recent days, killing at least 50 people.
US authorities reported the deaths of at least 25 people in the city of Buffalo, New York state. The community has been described as a “war zone,” with power outages and blocked roads making it difficult for responders to do their job.
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The meteorologist says bomb cyclones are not uncommon in the region, but the intensity of this one is above average
Four people died in Canada when a bus overturned on an icy road near the town of Merritt in western British Columbia.
Experts heard by the BBC said the formation of these cyclones comes from the collision of two masses: one of warm air and the other of cold air. The strength of this system essentially depends on the contrast between them.
Meteorologist and climate consultant Francisco de Assis says this is not an uncommon phenomenon in the region and that many snowstorms are associated with bomb storms in the United States.
“It’s a cold air that comes very strongly from the poles and meets the warm air in the region. It moves like a very strong cold air bubble and causes a drop in pressure and temperature with conditions for the formation of a lot of snowfall. It owes its name ‘bomb’ to the large drop in pressure,” explains the meteorologist.
Credit, Portal
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Many drivers had to park their vehicles due to snowstorms.
Though considered normal, Francisco de Assis says the intensity of this year’s bombing storm is above average in the United States and Canada.
“It has hit the entire east coast and central area of the United States. It happens almost every year, but not with this intensity,” he says.
Meteorologists say the intensity of the “bomb storm” will decrease in the coming days. But the warning for residents in regions further north is to avoid travel unless it is an emergency.
Thousands of flights have been canceled in the US and Canada in recent days, preventing many people from reaching their homes during the Christmas holidays.
These storms cause weather ranging from snowstorms to severe storms and precipitation.
Bomb cyclones are most common on the East Coast of the United States and Canada, where cold ground and warm Gulf Stream air provide ideal conditions for their formation.
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New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul said, “This will go down in history as the most devastating storm in Buffalo.”
Some of those killed in the area were found in cars or under snow, an Erie County official told Portal.
Stormrelated deaths were also reported in Vermont, Ohio, Missouri, Wisconsin, Kansas and Colorado.
The state of Montana in the western United States is hardest hit by the cold, with temperatures as low as 45°C.
New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul said Sunday (12/25) that “this will go down as Buffalo’s most devastating storm in history.”
Credit, EPA
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This man in Buffalo, New York was struggling to clear a pass with heavy snow
In Canada, the provinces of Ontario and Quebec have been hardest hit by the storm.
In Quebec, nearly 120,000 homes were without power on Sunday. Officials say it could be days before some homes are reconnected to the grid.