perfect storm

Popularized by the book (1997) and movie (2000) The Perfect Storm.

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

perfect storm (plural perfect storms)

1. (meteorology, informal) A powerful hurricane or other major weather disturbance, especially as produced by a combination of meteorological conditions.
   • 1796, William Fordyce Mavor, Historical account of the most celebrated voyages, travels, and discoveries ..., p. 161,

     But on the 24th of April, the wind again blew a perfect storm, and our other ships of the squadron separated, nor did any of them rejoin the commodore.

   • 1914, Samuel Finley Breese Morse and Edward Lind Morse, Samuel F.B. Morse: His Letters and Journals, p. 190,

     Ten o'clock. Beginning to blow hard; taking in sails one after another. — Three o'clock. A perfect storm; the gale a few days ago but a gentle breeze to it.

   • 2014 October 27, Taylor Swift, Imogen Heap, “Clean (Taylor's Version)”, in 1989 (Taylor's Version)‎^[1], performed by Taylor Swift, published 27 October 2023:

     Hung my head as I lost the war
     And the sky turned black like a perfect storm

2. (figuratively, by extension) A situation in which several problems converge and make everything worse.
   • 1862, Frank Moore, Edward Everett, The Rebellion Record: A Diary of American Events, p. 149,

     They sent a perfect storm of bullets, over, under, and into our men.

   • 2008 June 30, Jim Coyle, “Stormy weather for tourism season”, in Toronto Star, page AA8:

     Tory said he was worried that "a perfect storm" of economic factors could put tourist operators and their communities in peril.