Mental Floss

WEATHER

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The phrase bomb cyclone has re-entered the news. It seems appropriate for a strong storm to have bomb in its name, but the word actually refers to a meteorological phenomenon and not the cyclone's explosive intensity.

Michele Debczak
















Edward Stojakovic, Flickr // CC BY 2.0

The polar vortex is famous for blasting arctic air south to the U.S. But what exactly is happening here?

Erin McCarthy