Definition

"An intense low pressure system with a central pressure that falls 24 millibars in 24 hours" (UK Meteorological Office).

This is a predominantly maritime, cold-season (winter) event occurring at attitudes around 60 degrees north or south.

Description

An explosive cyclogenesis occurs when dry air from the Stratosphere flows into an area of low-pressure. This causes air within the depression to rise very quickly and increase its rotation, which in turn deepens the pressure and creates a more vigorous storm commonly associated with strong destructive winds.

The four most active regions where extratropical explosive cyclogenesis occurs in the world are the Northwest Pacific, the North Atlantic, the Southwest Pacific, and the South Atlantic.