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Climate change is making turbulence worse, although deaths are still rare, experts say
CBC News ^ | May 21, 2024 | Natalie Stechyson

Posted on 05/21/2024 6:12:21 PM PDT by jerod

Most people who have flown have likely felt their stomach drop when the "fasten seatbelt" sign switches on during a bumpy flight, but turbulence can be severe and experts warn it's becoming more common.

"Turbulence fatalities on commercial flights are fortunately very rare, but have sadly increased by one today," Paul Williams, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Reading, U.K., told CBC News in an email interview.

On Tuesday, one passenger was killed and 30 were injured after a Singapore Airlines flight from London hit severe turbulence en route, forcing it to make an emergency landing in Bangkok, officials and the airline said. A passenger on board the flight told Reuters the plane dropped dramatically, launching everyone not wearing a seatbelt into the ceiling.

A 73-year-old British man died during the incident, likely due to a heart attack, Suvarnabhumi airport general manager Kittipong Kittikachorn told a news conference. Seven people were critically injured with head injuries.

Turbulence — a sudden, violent shift in air flow — is the most common cause of airline accidents involving injuries, according to a 2021 study by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). From 2009 through 2018, the U.S. agency found that turbulence accounted for more than a third of reported airline accidents and most resulted in one or more serious injuries.

And it's likely only going to get worse due to climate change, climate and aviation experts have noted. There is strong evidence that turbulence is increasing because of climate change, Williams said, citing his own research that severe clear-air turbulence in the North Atlantic has increased by 55 per cent since 1979.

"Our latest future projections indicate a doubling or tripling of severe turbulence in the jet streams in the coming decades, if the climate continues to change as we expect," he said...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
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To: jerod

Absolute, nonsense!!! As a longtime pilot... there has been no changes in turbulence that I am aware of. This is crap that is not based on actual data.


21 posted on 05/21/2024 7:57:21 PM PDT by fireman15 (Irritating people are the grit from which we fashion our pearl. I provide the grit. You're Welcome.)
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To: jerod

“Climate change is making turbulence worse, although deaths are still rare, experts say”

even worse, the wind resistance from all of those windmills is slowing the rotation of the earth ... soon there will be at least 25 hours in a day ...


22 posted on 05/21/2024 9:02:30 PM PDT by catnipman (A Vote For The Lesser Of Two Evils Still Counts As A Vote For Evil)
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To: jerod

Is there anything globull warming can’t do? It’s like the quicker, pickeruper.


23 posted on 05/21/2024 9:16:03 PM PDT by crusty old prospector
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To: jerod

So called experts. Spit. 💩🤮


24 posted on 05/21/2024 11:11:05 PM PDT by Mark17 (Retired USAF air traffic controller. Father of Air Force pilot. Both bitten by the aviation bug)
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To: jerod

I’ve been flying for a living for 35 years, currently I fly the Boeing 777. This is utter BS, I don’t know where they come up with this stuff.


25 posted on 05/21/2024 11:40:28 PM PDT by GaryCrow
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To: marktwain

More “Experts”. So called by themselves, they are actually incredibly stupid.


26 posted on 05/22/2024 3:25:07 AM PDT by Machavelli (True God)
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To: jerod

Okay CBS. How would you fix it? Maybe have some of those highly respected climatologists on so they can explain what will mitigate these events. They have had over 40 years to discuss this and put plans in place to resolve climate change. Now they should put together a project plan to perform this miracle.


27 posted on 05/22/2024 3:47:37 AM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (Give the Anti-Israel Protesters a one way ticket to fight with Hamas. )
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To: jerod

On the author...

https://www.met.reading.ac.uk/~williams/

“... and Chelsea Clinton and Cher have tweeted about my research...”

Say no more.


28 posted on 05/22/2024 3:51:07 AM PDT by mewzilla (Never give up; never surrender!)
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To: mewzilla
Geologist, Professor Ian Plimer, utterly demolishes the human-induced "climate emergency" fairy tale in three and a half minutes...
29 posted on 05/22/2024 3:52:15 AM PDT by mewzilla (Never give up; never surrender!)
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To: jerod

Bull hockey. Turbulence is turbulence. It’s been a long cold spring in Raleigh, NC. I am tired of it. No global warming here. It’s been 60 degrees forever.


30 posted on 05/22/2024 4:00:41 AM PDT by yldstrk ( )
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To: jerod

When the headline has “experts” in it there is no need to read further.


31 posted on 05/22/2024 4:08:49 AM PDT by Thomas Jerome
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To: jerod
My dentist recently told me that climate change is making plaque build up worse...but that deaths are still rare.
32 posted on 05/22/2024 4:40:48 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Proudly Clinging To My Guns And My Religion)
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To: GaryCrow

“I’ve been flying for a living for 35 years, currently I fly the Boeing 777.”

Between you and me, the plan comes out as the hero. No problem has been reported with the plane itself, or its pilots for that matter.

The lesson for me is to keep my seat belt on.


33 posted on 05/22/2024 4:48:08 AM PDT by cymbeline (we saw men break out of a concentration camp.”)
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To: jerod

I saw that on the news this morning. Everything is worse because of climate change apparently.

On the same news show they also claimed tornadoes are worse and more frequent because of climate change. Every day all the morning news shows start with weather doom.


34 posted on 05/22/2024 5:14:22 AM PDT by Doctor Congo
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To: Sicon

BS,,,,turbulence is a phenomenon of mother nature and generally forecast by weathermen world wide.


35 posted on 05/22/2024 5:52:30 AM PDT by chopperk
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To: catnipman

wind farms causing all these problems including tornadoes.


36 posted on 05/22/2024 8:31:36 AM PDT by meridenite
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To: marktwain

Those protesting “climate change” should go to the Middle East and protest the drillers for oil.


37 posted on 05/22/2024 8:32:55 AM PDT by ActresponsiblyinVA
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To: jerod

“Climate change is making turbulence worse, although deaths are still rare, experts say”

even worse, the wind resistance from all of those windmills is slowing the rotation of the earth ... soon there will be at least 25 hours in a day ...


38 posted on 05/23/2024 7:02:21 AM PDT by catnipman (A Vote For The Lesser Of Two Evils Still Counts As A Vote For Evil)
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