World Braces for Bomb Cyclone as Chile Freezes Desert

Winter Storm Threatens South, While Other Global Events Unfold

A powerful winter storm was threatening the southern United States with freezing temperatures and potential snowfall as of Saturday, with forecasters warning of a possible "bomb cyclone" development, according to Time. At the same time, other significant events were unfolding globally, including the reopening of the Gaza border crossing with Egypt and efforts to preserve plant life in Chile's Atacama Desert, according to NPR News.

The winter storm had already begun dropping snow on parts of eastern Tennessee, the Carolinas, and southern Virginia by Friday. Tampa, Florida, could potentially see snow flurries for the first time since 2010. About 240 million people were under cold weather advisories Saturday, and nearly 200,000 customers were without power, some from the previous week's storm, mostly in Tennessee and Mississippi, Time reported. A "bomb cyclone" is defined as a weather event in which atmospheric pressure drops sharply over a short period.

Meanwhile, Gaza's Rafah border crossing with Egypt was bustling with activity on Sunday, as Israel announced that limited travel to and from the territory was set to resume after years of near-complete isolation, according to the Associated Press, as reported by NPR News. Reopening the border crossing was a key step as the Israel-Hamas ceasefire moved ahead. Israel announced Sunday that the crossing had opened in a test.

In Chile, efforts were underway to protect plant life in the Atacama Desert, the world's driest. Ana Sandoval, a researcher at Initihuasi Seed Bank, was working to preserve biodiversity by nurturing seeds, according to NPR News.

In Minnesota, the aftermath of a controversial ICE detention continued to reverberate. Aliya Rahman was detained by federal agents near the scene where Renee Macklin Good was fatally shot by an ICE officer on January 13 in Minneapolis, according to NPR News.

Separately, a new study highlighted the importance of effective science communication in conveying the concept of "blue carbon" to the public. The study, reported by Phys.org, revealed that Japanese media disproportionately addresses the key challenges and limitations of the blue carbon concept. Blue carbon refers to carbon captured by the world's coastal and marine ecosystems. The study emphasized that adequate understanding of the blue carbon concept could lead to the promotion of sustainable marine activities.