Storm Ciarán a 'bomb cyclone', scientists say

 

19h ago

12.43 GMT

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2023/nov/03/storm-ciaran-italy-greece-emergency-weather-warning-europe-live?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with:block-6544ea458f08293ffae5238d#block-6544ea458f08293ffae5238d

 

Storm Ciarán a 'bomb cyclone', scientists say

Damian Carrington

Storm Ciarán, still wreaking havoc across Europe, is a “bomb cyclone”, scientists have explained. These are unusual storms, where explosive intensification leads to very strong winds.

 

Colin Manning and Hayley Fowler, at Newcastle University in the UK, said Storm Ciarán was also unusual among North Atlantic storms in producing both heavy rain and high winds over large areas. Such storms are likely to become more frequent due to the climate crisis, they warned.

 

“Ciarán is the UK’s third named storm in a winter storm season that is shaping up to be exceptionally turbulent,” they said. “The succession of storms since August 2023 has been driven by an unusually strong jet stream that has shifted further south than is typical for this time of year.

 

“A stronger jet stream can make storms more powerful, and a more southerly position means that storms are warmer and carry more moisture and energy, making rapid intensification more likely,” they said.

 

“Recent storms show that society has not adapted to worsening climate conditions. Alongside drastically cutting emissions, countries must build more resilient infrastructure to adapt to a more turbulent climate. This will be costly, but far less costly than doing nothing.”