Bay Area storm to intensify into powerful bomb cyclone
Brief break in cloud coverage before storm system rolls in
The sun broke through the clouds on Monday, but heavy rains are expected later in the week.
OAKLAND, Calif. - The Bay Area saw heavy rain over the weekend, with showers lingering into early this week. However, a bomb cyclone developing in the Pacific now brings the threat of damaging winds to the region.
What is happening?
What we know:
An atmospheric wave is expected to form southwest of the Bay Area Tuesday morning. As the disturbance approaches the coast, its central pressure will drop rapidly, causing the storm to intensify significantly.
Bomb cyclone developing offshore
The Bay Area saw heavy rain over the weekend, with showers lingering into early this week. However, a bomb cyclone developing in the Pacific now brings the threat of intense winds to the region.
What is a bomb cyclone?
Dig deeper:
Bomb cyclone is a meteorological term for a storm undergoing bombogenesis. This occurs when a storm’s central pressure drops at least 24 millibars within 24 hours. The lower the pressure, the more powerful the storm becomes.
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Why do we care?
Why you should care:
As the storm nears the coast, the wind field will strengthen. The potential for damaging winds will increase, particularly along the coastline. Wind gusts could reach 60 mph late Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.