Sootstorm

A sootstorm is a meteorological phenomenon unique to the island of T'vaqi. Sootstorms are whirling blizzards of snow or hail that intermix with the ash, soot, and other debris that suffuse the island's air.

Definition and etymology

The T'vaqi Bureau of Meteorology defines a sootstorm as "a chilling, windy snowfall mixed with atmospheric debris, which must continue for an extended period of time or until 6.8 doqoni (76.2 cm) of sootfall have accumulated upon the ground." While the precise amount of debris present in the snow is not specified, any sufficiently gray snow can be considered sootfall. The quantity of non-snow debris in a sootstorm generally increases as one moves further inland.

The term "sootstorm" first appeared in a newspaper article written in 439 TT. At the time, heavy snowfall across the island had particularly affected the city of Thono, whose atmospheric pollution was the highest on the island. The term was coined to describe the snowfall in the city, which brought production to a halt for days. The chilling weather rendered Thono particularly susceptible to the spread of a deadly illness only weeks later, which became known as the "soot flu". As the island began to industrialize further, sootstorms became yearly occurrences for inland cities, and the term was solidified.

Historical occurrences

Due to the Perpetual Storm's strong presence in T'vaqi pre-Calming, heavy snowfall was a yearly occurrence island-wide. Sootstorms began to occur with increasing frequency as the air surrounding the island's cities became more polluted. Sootstorms have been recorded in all of T'vaqi's major cities, and are most common in Thono, Ishiq, and Qopi. A sootstorm was the primary cause for a nationwide food shortage in 49 PC.

Post-Calming, sootstorm rates have decreased drastically as comparatively little precipitation occurs on the island. They remain an outside possibility each year, however, with an unusually cold winter in 66 PC causing the most recent sootstorm to date.