A Bomb Cyclone Or Bombogenesis is hitting South Jersey Today Forecasters Say

A powerful "bomb cyclone" nor'easter will bring heavy, flooding rains to Connecticut and wind gusts of up to 50 mph this afternoon and Thursday morning. Parts of Connecticut may end up with 3 inches of rain.

Later Wednesday, a storm system will bring a short, but intense period of rain, followed by winds strong enough to warrant a Wind Advisory by the National Weather Service. This is all due to a storm likely to under bombogenesis.

The pressure of the system could drop more than 30 millibars in 24 hours making this a bomb cyclone, the National Weather Service in Boston said Wednesday.

Power outages are expected as winds hit 20-30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph, especially in southeastern Connecticut. The National Weather Service said rainfall rates may approach a half-inch an hour at times in Connecticut. The heaviest rain in Connecticut will be from 6 p.m. until midnight, the weather service said. The rain will taper off during the overnight hours.

Bombogensis storms are caused by an intense temperature clash of air masses. An arctic low pressure system can merge with a tropical or subtropical low pressure system. Another common way is when a low pressure system moved from the Great Plains and into the mid-Atlantic. From there, it hits the warm Gulf Stream, with a rapidly strengthening storm to follow. This storm is known as a "Miller B" system.

It's not a classic nor'easter but the strong winds will last for days Although it is not likely the storm will meet the criterion of a classic nor'easter, it will be just as strong as the storm that impacted the mid-Atlantic and Northeast last week, if not a little stronger.

Rain will linger across the area on Thursday. Winds will shift to west with gusts up to 35 to 40 mph through the day, then will diminish Thursday night. Another area of low pressure may bring more rainfall across the area Monday afternoon through Tuesday.

Torrential rainfall could lead to urban flooding in some areas Many locations in the Northeast will receive 2-4 inches of rain, with isolated areas receiving up to 6 inches. The rain will taper off throughout the day on Thursday, then completely lift out of northern New England by Friday.