A Weather Bomb Is Heading For Canada's East Coast & Bringing 100 km/h Winds

It's only two days into November and already there is an extreme forecast for the east coast. A weather bomb in Canada is expected to hit the Maritimes today and could be bringing some dangerous conditions. That includes wind gusts that could cause structural damage.

While the term "weather bomb" may just sound like an intense way of describing a bad storm, it is actually a legitimate term in meteorology.

The fact that it's being used to describe today's forecast does not bode well for East Coasters. They should prepare for the worst (which could include plenty more bags of storm chips in the house).

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What is a weather bomb?

While the term "weather bomb" certainly sounds intense, it's nowhere near as extreme as its scientific name: explosive cyclogenesis.

A weather system of this kind is defined by a precipitous drop in pressure over a certain period of time, that being 24 millibars within 24 hours, according to the Met Office in the United Kingdom.

As the pressure drops, it pulls air in from surrounding high-pressure systems. This is what causes intensely powerful winds, and it's exactly these types of conditions that Canadians on the east coast are being warned about. 

What kind of weather is it bringing?

This system is expected to cause gusts that could reach anywhere from 100 to 120 kilometres per hour, according to forecasts from Environment Canada.

Wind like this has the potential to cause structural damage, such as blowing off roof shingles and breaking windows with flying debris like broken tree branches.

On top of the wind, some areas will experience some messy winter weather, including a mix of rain and snow with the potential to leave anywhere from 20 to 40 centimetres of accumulation on the ground.

Visibility during these storms may suddenly drop, and could potentially reach zero, so residents are warned to limit their non-essential travel during this time.

What areas will be most affected?

As this storm is heading toward the east coast, the provinces of Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia will be most affected.

Environment Canada warns that the coastal regions of Newfoundland and the northern tip of Nova Scotia will likely be hit hardest with high winds. Prince Edward Island will also be dealing with gusty conditions.

The Weather Network has indicated that these regions could be getting between 30 and 50 millimetres of rain as well, while the interior of Labrador is expected to get hit with snowy weather.

All of these inclement conditions should begin to ease up by Tuesday morning.

Cover image used for illustrative purposes only.