‘Bomb cyclone’ slams western US, leaving one dead and 600,000 without power

Authorities pass that terrible winds and dense rains are expected crossed nan northwestern United States done Friday.

A powerful large wind known arsenic a “bomb cyclone” has killed astatine slightest 1 personification and knocked retired powerfulness for hundreds of thousands crossed nan West Coast of nan United States.

The explosive cyclone, named for nan accelerated intensification of a large wind complete a little play of time, brought excessive rainfall and winds of 80 kilometres per hr (50 miles per hour) connected Wednesday to Oregon, Washington, and California. Heavy rainfall and harsh winds are expected to proceed done Friday.

“Back-to-back powerful Pacific large wind systems to effect nan West Coast done nan extremity of this week pinch dense rain, life-threatening flooding, beardown winds, and higher elevation upland snow,” nan National Weather Service (NWS) predicted successful a societal media post.

A female was killed successful Washington erstwhile a character fell connected an encampment of bum people, and 2 group were besides injured erstwhile a character fell connected their trailer. The large wind has swept down trees and powerfulness lines and knocked retired powerfulness for astir 600,000 people, according to nan website poweroutage.us.

In this image provided by Eastside Fire and Rescue, officials study nan segment wherever a character fell connected a location successful Issaquah, Washington, connected November 19 [Eastside Fire and Rescue via AP]

The NWS said that excessive rainfall is expected done Friday, pinch blizzard conditions and dense snowfall successful nan Cascades and Northern California. The agency said that terrible rainfall could besides lead to “life-threatening floods” successful Northern California.

“The biggest surge is Thursday. We’re looking astatine 10-15 inches [25-38 centimetres] of rainfall by Friday, immoderate places, 20 inches [50cm],” Rich Otto, a meteorologist pinch nan NWS Weather Prediction Center, told nan Reuters news agency, pinch nan main concerns for southwest Oregon and Northern California.

Climate alteration driven by human activity, particularly nan burning of fossil fuels, has made galore types of utmost upwind much deadly.

A caller study published successful nan technological diary Environmental Research: Climate recovered that climate change has accrued nan spot of hurricanes successful nan Atlantic Ocean by 29km/h (18mph) successful nan past six years.

“We cognize that nan strength of these storms is causing a batch much catastrophic harm successful general,” lead study writer Daniel Gifford, a ambiance intelligence astatine Climate Central, which does investigation connected world warming, told nan Associated Press news agency. “Damages do standard [up] pinch nan intensity.”

This year’s 3 astir devastating storms — Beryl, Helene and Milton — accrued by 29km/h (18 mph), 26km/h (16 mph) and 39km/h (24 mph) respectively because of ambiance change, nan authors said.

“We had 2 Category 5 storms present successful 2024,” Gifford said. “Our study shows that we would person had zero Category 5 storms without human-caused ambiance change.”

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Al Jazeera and news agencies