Air travel has always been the safest and quickest way to move from one place to another across the world. However, in the future, passengers are expected to experience rougher and shakier flights. According to scientists from the University of Reading (UK) has mentioned the Earth is getting hotter and so several turbulences are expected to happen more often because of climate change. Read to know more.
Climate Change To Cause Turbulence In Air Travel
As per News 18, there are times when flights in the air face turbulence, making the journey scary and uncomfortable. Now, according to the latest report, these turbulences will be frequent and something stronger. Climate change has caused disturbance in strong winds called jet streams, leading to turbulence. The jet streams help planes travel smoothly across long distances.
Due to disturbances in jet streams, it can be unstable and cause more turbulence, especially clear-air turbulence (CAT). It is more dangerous because it can’t be detected on radar and happens suddenly without warning. Between 1979 and 2020, researchers have found that turbulence incidents have increased by 55%. By the end of this century, the wind shear in jet streams will surge up by 16 to 20% whereas the atmosphere could become 10–20% less stable. These two changes will likely be the cause of more turbulence, according to the latest findings, published in the Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences.
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Death And Injuries Caused By Turbulence
Co-author and an atmospheric scientist, Professor Paul Williams, has mentioned that till now turbulence has already been the cause of severe injuries and, in rare cases, deaths. As a warning, he added that in the future, pilots will likely have to turn the seatbelt sign on more often to ensure passenger safety.
Though to ensure passengers’ safety, pilots and airline staff are trained how to handle turbulence, travellers should no longer expect a smooth journey. It would be safe to put the seatbelt even though the sign is off.
Because of climate change, the skies will look the same, but they will no longer be calm and will cause disruptions in air travel, causing turbulence. We hope for a safe and comfortable journey for passengers travelling via flight.
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