The United Kingdom and Ireland are bracing for a powerful "bomb cyclone" that is about to strike the British Isles: meteorologists predict that the cyclone will bring snow, rain, and potentially deadly, high-speed winds to Ireland and the UK, as reported by Live Science.
The Irish Meteorological Service, Met Éireann, has issued a red-level weather warning, and a similar warning has been released by the UK's Met Office. The storm is expected to also affect Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland.
According to forecasters, the "bomb cyclone" is inspired by Storm Eowyn and is likely to unleash incredible winds of up to 160 kilometers per hour across the British Isles. The weather warnings also indicate that the storm poses a danger to local residents and could cause significant damage.
Forecasters predict that Storm Eowyn will cross Northern Ireland before moving northeast towards Scotland. It is also expected to bring precipitation and winds to England and Wales.
According to Paul Gundersen, the chief meteorologist at the Met Office, Storm Eowyn is a dangerous event, as some regions may experience snow while others may see rain, with most of the UK anticipating strong winds.
Researchers note that the strength of Storm Eowyn is linked to an Arctic outbreak and historical snowstorms that hit the United States this week. Arctic air over North America has collided with warmer subtropical air off the East Coast, resulting in a powerful jet stream flowing from North America towards the UK, which will amplify the storm.
Ambrogio Volonte, a cyclone researcher at the University of Reading, states that data indicates Storm Eowyn is developing explosively, intensifying at an exceptional rate due to a sharp drop in sea-level pressure.
It is worth noting that storms with explosive pressure drops like this are referred to as "bomb cyclones" or "weather bombs." Researchers point out that such storms can be as destructive as storms like Eunice, which struck in 2022. During Storm Eunice, falling trees claimed the lives of four people in the UK and Ireland, and over a million homes were left without electricity for several days.
According to Volonte, the structure of Storm Eowyn suggests that it could become one of the strongest on record in this region.