Storm Agnes Batters Ireland, UK After It Underwent 'Bombogenesis'

Meteorologists said that Storm Agnes has battered Ireland and United Kingdom after it underwent a process called bombogenesis.

(Photo : Getty Images/Christopher Furlong)

They explained that the weather disturbance, which was a bomb cyclone, had traveled across the north-central Atlantic earlier this week and underwent bombogenesis as it approached Ireland.

Effects

Due to the torrential rains and powerful winds brought by Storm Agnes, more than 30 firefighters conducted an operation to rescue a woman from a flooded river in County Londonderry.

Furthermore, strong winds had toppled down several trees in Cork and Dublin in the Republic of Ireland.

In the coastal town of Youghal, County Cork, a part of a roof also blown off a building on Front Strand.

The United Kingdom MET Office said that Storm Agnes tracked northeastwards across the UK last Wednesday, September 27.

Weather experts said that Agnes had brought strong winds and heavy rains to many areas, particularly those situated in the north and west portions of the country.

Officials were able to record the extreme gusts and highest rainfalls in some areas: Maximum gusts: Capel Curig - 84 mph, Aberdaron - 68 mph, Shap - 66 mph; and Highest rainfall totals: Honister Pass - 52.2 mm, Mickledon - 52.0 mm, Seathwaite - 47.6 mm.

Initially, it was also forecasted that the strongest winds would be most likely felt on Irish Sea coasts, with meteorologists saying that a widely windy day was also felt across UK.

According to MET Office Chief Meteorologist Matthew Lehnert, the strongest winds also affected Northern Ireland, southwest Scotland, west and northwest Wales, Cumbria and Lancashire where some places inlands were forecasted to have witnessed gusts of 50 - 60 mph and 65-75 mph over hills and around coasts.

A Yellow Warning for wind was also raised over a large area of the UK, with rain warnings also issued for parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Officials said that wind warning highlights the possibility of some damage to building due to strong winds, as well as the possibility of power outage in some areas.

They said that the highest wind gusts observed in the UK was 63 mph in St. Mary's, and in Ireland, wind gusts were observed to howl at 72 mph on Sherkin Island.

In Scotland, Agnes was dubbed as the the first named storm of the year. Authorities also warned about flooding impacts, especially in the southwest as well as in the central areas.

A number flights were also cancelled at Belfast City Airport and there was also a disruption in the operations at P&O Ferries, affecting its route services between Larne and Cairnryan in Scotland.

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Bombogenesis

Experts defined bombogenesis as a storm or low pressure area that undergoes rapid strengthening. The vast majority of such weather disturbance usually occurs over the ocean.

They said that the storm can be tropical or non-tropical in nature. Other common phrases for bombogenesis include weather bomb or simply bomb cyclone.

The term bombogenesis was derived from the merging of two words: bomb and cyclogenesis.

All storms are cyclones, and genesis means the creation or beginning. In this case, bomb refers to explosive development, and when put together, the term means explosive storm strengthening.

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