‘Bomb’ of a cyclone hits B.C., thousands without power

Around 225,000 B.C. residents are without power this morning as an off-shore “bomb cyclone” began to batter the province Wednesday evening.

Hurricane-force winds — some over 155 km/h — are lashing parts of B.C. and Environment Canada has issued storm-related wind and flooding warnings and advisories, including high-wind warnings into the Interior of the province.

According to the Transportation Ministry multiple highways on Vancouver Island have been closed due to downed power lines, with more closures expected.

The storm is anticipated to last up to 24 hours. Experts say it’s the equivalent of a Category 2 hurricane.

A mix of wind warnings/special weather statements are out for BC with a strong system spinning just offshore. The strongest winds are expected along the coast where gusts could reach 100-120 km/h tonight. #bcstorm #BombCyclone pic.twitter.com/y61dPbcHB4

— ECCC Weather British Columbia (@ECCCWeatherBC) November 19, 2024

The same system is affecting the U.S. northwest, including Northern California, with torrential rain, strong winds and blizzard warnings already causing widespread power outages and at least two deaths so far.

A bomb cyclone refers to a rapidly intensifying storm where atmospheric pressure drops by at least 24 millibars within 24 hours, a process known as “bombogenesis.”

A worry now is that the cyclone will combine with an atmospheric river to produce life-threatening rainfall over parts of the west coast that could last a week.

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