VANCOUVER – Hurricane winds of more than 120 km/h are hitting parts of British Columbia’s coast as a ‘bomb cyclone’ develops off the coast of Vancouver Island.
Environment Canada has issued more than 50 warnings, advisories and warnings related to the storm, covering most of Vancouver Island and other coastal areas and extending deep into the interior.
The weather bureau says the worst of the storm is expected overnight, when winds could peak at 75 mph on the central and northern coasts, although the remote island of Sartine already saw winds of more than 80 mph on Tuesday afternoon.
But it said risks, including coastal flooding, power outages and fallen trees, could continue well into Wednesday.
Meteorologist Cindy Day says there is nothing alarmist about Environment Canada calling the system a “bomb cyclone,” a non-tropical storm caused by a rapid drop in atmospheric pressure at the center.
Day says such scientific language, when used properly, is necessary and can help people better prepare for the impacts of extreme weather events.
She said the term “bomb cyclone” has been used by scientists for decades to describe “a low-pressure system that undergoes explosive cyclogenesis,” or the creation of cyclonic air circulation.
Day said terms like “bomb cyclone” and “atmospheric river” could help paint a picture that allows people to better understand and prepare for different weather systems.
In British Columbia, an atmospheric river that originates near Hawaii has long been known as a “pineapple express.”
“So an atmospheric river — people immediately start thinking, ‘Okay, it’s a narrow strip of moving water,'” Day said.
“It gives you the feeling that this will be a steady event and there won’t be time for the ground to absorb the rain. It will continue to rain and eventually cause flooding because of that concentrated rainfall.”
In British Columbia, the government called for the creation of a scale to assess the strength of atmospheric river events in 2021, in the wake of a devastating system that caused widespread flooding and closed the Trans-Canada Highway and other major roads.
But Environment Canada said the following year that introducing such a scale for public warnings was premature.
Day noted that she had received “a lot of flak” for using the term “bomb” in connection with meteorological phenomena, with some accusing her of trying to sensationalize weather events.
“I really believe that when used in the right context, they are not alarming,” she said.
