Thought your flight from London to New York was a bit bumpy? It's going to get even bumpier in the future due to climate change.
Scientists from East Anglia and Reading universities studied and analyzed computer similations of the atmospheric jet stream over the North Atlantic. They believe that climate change may create added turbulence on flights from London to New York, the Daily Mail reports.
By 2050, flights could hit significant turbulence as it could rise by 40 to 170 percent. The amount of airspace with turbulence could double at any time.
Even the average strength of turbulence will increase be 10 to 40 percent according to Dr Paul Williams from the University of Reading and the University of East Anglia's Dr Manoj Joshi.
"Most air passengers will have experienced the uncomfortable feeling of mid-flight air turbulence. Our research suggests that we'll be seeing the 'fasten seatbelts' sign turned on more often in the decades ahead," Williams said, according to the Daily Mail.
"Air turbulence does more than just interrupt the service of in-flight drinks. It injures hundreds of passengers and aircrew every year - sometimes fatally. It also causes delays and damages planes," Williams continued. "The total cost to society is about $150million (£98million) each year. Any increase in turbulence would make flying more uncomfortable and increase the risk to passengers and crew."
Williams explained that it would be difficult to reroute the flights to avoid the turbulence because more fuel would be used which would ass to air pollutions and there would be more airport delays. These factors would increase ticket prices.
"Aviation is partly responsible for changing the climate in the first place. It is ironic that the climate looks set to exact its revenge by creating a more turbulent atmosphere for flying," Williams said.
Dr. Joshi pointed out their their research focused on turbulence in the winter. "This is especially problematic to airliners, because clear-air turbulence is invisible to pilots and satellites, and winter is when it peaks."
Their study, which is called "Intensification of winter transatlantic aviation turbulence in response to climate change" has been published in the ournal Nature Climate Change.
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