A potent storm approaching western Alaska this weekend has tied the strongest recorded storm to impact the region.
This storm comes a little over a year after ex-Super Typhoon Nuri became
the most powerful system on record to cross Dutch Harbor, Alaska, which is located in the Aleutian Islands, with a central low pressure of 924 millibars (27.29 inches of Hg).
The intensity of a storm is measured by the central pressure, with lower pressure equating to a stronger system.
Previous to Nuri, the old record stood at 925 millibars (27.32 inches of Hg) at Dutch Harbor, Alaska, from a strong storm that hit on Oct. 25, 1977.
To put this in perspective, Hurricane Katrina made landfall at 920 millibars (27.17 inches of Hg).
This storm raced to the northeast and pounded the western Aleutian Islands with hurricane-force winds on Saturday evening, rapidly intensifying in the process.
Winds have gusted to 122 mph (196 km/h) at Adak Island, Alaska, on Saturday night.
Further strengthening is forecast to occur once the storm enters the Bering Sea, potentially breaking the intensity reached by ex-Super Typhoon Nuri in November of 2014.
Comment: There seem to have been a number of bizarre explosions around the world lately. Frequently blamed on gas or electrical transformers malfunctioning, could they be related to other bizarre electrical and seismic phenomena we've been experiencing around the world?