Weather & nature

A perfect storm

A very bad situation caused by several problems happening at the same time.

Examples

  • Rising prices, a staff shortage and bad weather created a perfect storm for the restaurant.
  • Exams, a house move and a cold all at once – it was a perfect storm.

How to use it

Neutral; very common in journalism and business.

Where it comes from

Popularised by Sebastian Junger's 1997 book "The Perfect Storm" about a rare combination of weather systems in 1991.