Hurricane-force winds hitting parts of the B.C. coast as 'bomb cyclone' develops
CTV
Hurricane-force winds of more than 120 km/h are hitting parts of the British Columbia coast as a "bomb cyclone" develops off Vancouver Island.
Hurricane-force winds of more than 120 km/h are hitting parts of the British Columbia coast as a "bomb cyclone" develops off Vancouver Island.
Environment Canada has issued more than 50 warnings, advisories and alerts related to the storm, covering most of Vancouver Island and other coastal areas and stretching deep into the Interior.
The weather agency says the worst of the storm is expected overnight when winds in the central and north coast could peak at 120 km/h, though the remote Sartine Island was already seeing winds exceeding 130 km/h Tuesday afternoon.
But it says risks, including coastal flooding, power outages and fallen trees, could continue long into Wednesday.
Meteorologist Cindy Day says there's nothing alarmist about Environment Canada calling the system a "bomb cyclone," which is a non-tropical storm caused by a rapid drop in atmospheric pressure at its centre.
Day says that when used appropriately, such scientific language is necessary and can help people better prepare for the impact of extreme weather events.
She said the term "bomb cyclone" had been used by scientists for decades to describe "a low-pressure system that is undergoing explosive cyclogenesis," or the creation of cyclonic air circulation.
