Strong jet stream winds: Flights hit supersonic speed

Three flights recently hit supersonic speed travelling from the US to Europe this week, all thanks to the jet stream.

During the weekend of 17th and 18th February, three passenger flights reached speeds of well over 800 mph, higher than the speed of sound which is marked at 767 mph.

A Newark to Lisbon flight hit 835 mph, while a Washington to London hit 802 mph. Usually these planes, which were operated by a Boeing 787 aircraft, travel at speeds of around 600 mph.

The planes were travelling over the speed of sound relative to the ground, but they weren't moving over 700 mph faster than the air around them. Because the planes were travelling within the jet stream’s flow, they did not break the sound barrier.

The jet stream was particularly strong in recent days, powering across the Atlantic from west to east. While this meant fast flight times travelling from the US over to Europe, it would have also meant a bit of a bumpy ride back the other way.

According to the National Weather Service, wind speeds in the jet stream peaked at around 265 mph, making it one of the highest upper-level wind recordings in recent times.