You might have seen the term “bomb cyclone” used to describe this weather event, so what does it actually mean, and why won’t you see the Bureau of Meteorology call it that?
The latest severe weather warning issued by the bureau describes a “rapidly deepening complex low-pressure system” that is “forecast to develop a vigorous coastal low offshore”.
Some media are calling this phenomenon a “bomb cyclone”.
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Asked about the term on Nine’s Today, BoM meteorologist Jonathan How explained that “bomb cyclone” is an official meteorological term that describes how quickly this low-pressure system is deepening.
But that doesn’t mean BoM likes to use it.
“We don’t really use that term very much. We just talk about a low-pressure system deepening very quickly because ‘bomb’ can sort of create a little bit more panic and [is] a little bit more scary than what it actually is,” he said.
So with the coastal low deepening, we can call the phenomenon a “bomb cyclone”, but keep in mind it’s not officially a cyclone, and there’s no bomb.
It’s more used to conjure the imagery of a sudden and significant drop in atmospheric pressure, like a bomb going off, that turns into a powerful and rapidly intensifying storm.
You can read more about the system and the rapid intensification or “bombogenesis” taking place, here.