Flight secrets: Turbulent weather

Flight secrets
Turbulent weather

It’s normal to feel nervous flying, especially in turbulence, but what causes it and is it actually dangerous?

Turbulence is a sudden change in airflow, and can be caused by several different factors, such as wind or temperature gradients.

The seven types of turbulence are as follows:

Type of turbulence	Cause
Clear air turbulence	A difference in wind speed/direction over a short distance, without any visual cues of clouds
Wake turbulence	Formed behind another aircraft
Thermal turbulence	Rising bubbles of warm air and sinking bubbles of cold air as a result of surface heating
Frontal turbulence	Wind shifts between different air masses
Thunderstorm turbulence	Updrafts and downdrafts within a storm
Mountain wave turbulence	Strong currents formed downwind of a mountain as air flows over
Mechanical turbulence	Friction from air flowing over man-made obstructions and irregular terrain

Whilst uncomfortable and an inconvenience, turbulence is rarely dangerous, and is a good sign that the plane is performing well to counteract external forces.

Often, what feels like large, dramatic drops during turbulence, are just a couple of metres.

Airplanes are designed to withstand extreme amounts of stress, but if you want to feel the effects of turbulence less, pilots suggest seats directly over the wings of a plane, or towards the front.

Flying later in the day may increase your chances of turbulence, particularly thermal and thunderstorm turbulence, which forms as a result of daytime heating.

So, if you're headed off on holiday any time soon, fly in the morning for a smoother ride, and remember, turbulence is just a shift in the airflow and completely normal.

Weather & Radar editorial team

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