Nuclear bomb map shows devastating impact new weapon would have on major cities

What would you do in the event of a nuclear strike?

If we're being frank, unless you're a high ranking official, there's not really a great deal you can do.

NUKEMAP

You could 'duck and cover', because hiding under a desk is really going to deflect a nuclear blast.

Failing that, you could take the Indiana Jones route and hide in a fridge. It won't save your life, but you might feel better, for a bit.

The Department of Defence has revealed that it is working on a new class of nuclear bomb which it has named the B61-13.

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These will form part of the US' strategic nuclear arsenal.

'Strategic' refers to weapons the existence of which is more a geopolitical tool than a tactical military weapon, because if they were ever used it would effectively mean the end of civilisation as we know it.

If you were wondering, there is a website which could show your chances depending on how far you are from the point of impact.

This is 'NUKEMAP' by Alex Wellerstein. You can select any location and choose from a number of presets which represent models of nuclear weapon, from the relatively small Hiroshima bomb up to the mammoth Tsar Bomba.

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The result is a number of circles which represent different areas of effect, including a fireball, heavy blast, thermal radiation, and 'light' blast radius.

NukeMap allows you to 'detonate' it over any location you choose, and then gives an estimate of the casualties, though it does add that the figure is meant to be 'evocative' rather than exactly accurate.

So what casualties would the new weapon inflict? Well, it has roughly the same yield as an older model.

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On London, it would be around 557,000 deaths and 1.6 injuries. Paris would be just over 1 million deaths and 2.1 million injuries.

But this pales in comparison to the deaths if China's Dong Feng-5 warhead were to detonate in New York City.

The Dong Feng-5 has a much larger warhead than the B61-13. In New York the estimate if 3.2 million deaths, and 4.6 million injuries.

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While nuclear threat is widely considered a thing of the Cold War, in fact the threat is as present as ever.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Vladimir Putin has made repeated threats to use nuclear weapons if NATO become directly involved.

Perhaps the best thing to do if the worst did happen would be to tell your friends and family you love them and hug your loved ones while you wait.

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