How the jet stream has been driving extreme heat and rain around the globe
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The jet stream has had a lot to answer for lately when it comes to extreme weather events. Bands of high-altitude winds also played a key role in warm conditions in Australia's south-east over the past week, as well as torrential rain that hit Greece and Spain. It also made headlines earlier this year for helping deliver rare dry season showers in Australia's outback. Jet streams have been described by some scientists, including Oxford University climate science professor Tim Woollings, as "arguably the largest weather systems on Earth". So what exactly are these and how do they affect the weather? Barrier between cold and warm air The jet stream forms where cold air at the poles meets relatively warm air at the equator. The stronger temperature difference, the stronger winds, reaching up to 400 kilometers per hour in winter. There are two main streams surrounding earth each hemisphere subtropical jet Southern Hemisphere, which lies at about same latitude as that between Perth Western Australia and Bourke New South Wales, and polar Southern Hemisphere. Ocean. These winds tend to swirl and meander around the world in a wavy pattern. If you've ever been on a plane, you've probably encountered them. If pilots join the jet stream, flight times from west to east could be shortened by up to a third. Unsplash Rae Galatas license When traveling from west east, pilots try to enter the jet stream provide extra thrust, like rowing down the river. That's why flying from west to east is generally faster than the other way around. Australia is affected by both jet streams, but subtropical jet is only present over Australia during cooler months of year and dissipates during summer months. Links to extreme weather conditions Although jet stream is located well above the surface, it directly affects weather on ground in a variety of ways, particularly in southern Australia, according to Monash University and ARC Extreme Climate Center of Excellence meteorologist Michael Barnes. “Everything from a cold front bringing us rain to a heat wave in southeastern Australia can be linked to the jet stream, its location and the waves moving along it,” he said. One way do this is to help guide mid-latitude weather systems, such as lows and fronts, around the world from west east like a conveyor belt. It can increase the strength of surface weather systems, such as low-pressure systems. An omega block caused floods in Greece and Spain in September. Sometimes – when disrupted – it can also cause weather systems to remain in one place for days, leading to extreme heat or rain. This is what has been happening in Europe lately; An "omega block" has left Greece and Spain flooded for several days as temperatures rise over the UK. In general, weather systems move quickly across Australia. But Dr Barnes said waves propagating through jet sometimes became stronger to point where they "broke" like waves in ocean. By breaking the conveyor
The jet stream has had a lot to answer for lately when it comes to extreme weather events. Bands of high-altitude winds also played a key role in warm conditions in Australia's south-east over the past week, as well as torrential rain that hit Greece and Spain. It also made headlines earlier this year for helping deliver rare dry season showers in Australia's outback. Jet streams have been described by some scientists, including Oxford University climate science professor Tim Woollings, as "arguably the largest weather systems on Earth". So what exactly are these and how do they affect the weather? Barrier between cold and warm air The jet stream forms where cold air at the poles meets relatively warm air at the equator. The stronger temperature difference, the stronger winds, reaching up to 400 kilometers per hour in winter. There are two main streams surrounding earth each hemisphere subtropical jet Southern Hemisphere, which lies at about same latitude as that between Perth Western Australia and Bourke New South Wales, and polar Southern Hemisphere. Ocean. These winds tend to swirl and meander around the world in a wavy pattern. If you've ever been on a plane, you've probably encountered them. If pilots join the jet stream, flight times from west to east could be shortened by up to a third. Unsplash Rae Galatas license When traveling from west east, pilots try to enter the jet stream provide extra thrust, like rowing down the river. That's why flying from west to east is generally faster than the other way around. Australia is affected by both jet streams, but subtropical jet is only present over Australia during cooler months of year and dissipates during summer months. Links to extreme weather conditions Although jet stream is located well above the surface, it directly affects weather on ground in a variety of ways, particularly in southern Australia, according to Monash University and ARC Extreme Climate Center of Excellence meteorologist Michael Barnes. “Everything from a cold front bringing us rain to a heat wave in southeastern Australia can be linked to the jet stream, its location and the waves moving along it,” he said. One way do this is to help guide mid-latitude weather systems, such as lows and fronts, around the world from west east like a conveyor belt. It can increase the strength of surface weather systems, such as low-pressure systems. An omega block caused floods in Greece and Spain in September. Sometimes – when disrupted – it can also cause weather systems to remain in one place for days, leading to extreme heat or rain. This is what has been happening in Europe lately; An "omega block" has left Greece and Spain flooded for several days as temperatures rise over the UK. In general, weather systems move quickly across Australia. But Dr Barnes said waves propagating through jet sometimes became stronger to point where they "broke" like waves in ocean. By breaking the conveyor