Portal:Weather

A jet stream is a fast flowing, relatively narrow air current found at the tropopause, the transition between the troposphere (where temperature decreases with height) and the stratosphere (where temperature increases with height). Jet streams are typically located at 10-15 kilometers above the surface of the Earth. They form near boundaries of adjacent air masses with significant differences in temperature, such as the polar region and the warmer air to the south. The path of the jet typically has a meandering shape, and these meanders known as Rossby waves. Rossby waves propagate westward with respect to the flow in which they are embedded, which translates to a slower eastward migration across the globe than smaller scale short wave troughs. The major jet streams are westerly winds (flowing west to east) in the Northern Hemisphere.

During the summer, low-level easterly jets can form in tropical regions. A southerly low level jet in the Great Plains of North America helps fuel overnight thunderstorm activity, normally in the form of mesoscale convective systems. A similar northerly low-level jet can form across Australia, instigated by cut-off lows which develop across southwest portions of the country.

Meteorologists use the location of the jet stream as an aid in weather forecasting. The main commercial use of the jet stream is during airline travel, as flying long distances along the jet stream can cut hours off a long distance trip. One type of clear-air turbulence is found in the jet stream's vicinity, which can be a hazard to aircraft. One future benefit of the jet stream could be to augment power generation within the next 10 to 20 years, if technological hurdles can be overcome.

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1942: The Weather Prediction Center (then known as the Analysis Center) began operations in Washington, D.C.

1936: An extreme flood struck Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, eventually causing around $3 billion (2006 USD) in damage in the city.

1966: United Arab Airlines Flight 749 crashed near Cairo International Airport, Egypt while attempting to land in a severe dust storm after sustaining damage while flying through a thunderstorm. All 30 passengers and crew were killed.

1956: A severe nor'easter struck the Northeastern United States, leaving drifts of snow more than 10 feet (3.0 m) high in some areas.

1969: A United Arab Airlines Ilyushin Il-18 crashed while attempting to land in a sandstorm at Aswan International Airport, Egypt, killing 100 of the 105 people on board.

1932: A deadly tornado outbreak killed 330 people in the Southern United States, including 268 deaths in Alabama, the most in that state's history.

2010: Severe storms struck the region around Perth, Western Australia, bringing high winds, large hail, and heavy flooding rains. It was the costliest natural disaster in the history of the territory, with more than A$1 billion in reported damage.

Tetsuya Theodore Fujita (/ˈfuːdʒiːtɑː/; FOO-jee-tah) (藤田 哲也, Fujita Tetsuya; October 23, 1920 – November 19, 1998) was a Japanese and American meteorologist whose research primarily focused on severe weather. His research at the University of Chicago on severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, and typhoons revolutionized the knowledge of each. Although he is best known for creating the Fujita scale of tornado intensity and damage, he also discovered downbursts and microbursts and was an instrumental figure in advancing modern understanding of many severe weather phenomena and how they affect people, airplanes, and communities, especially through his work exploring the relationship between wind speed and damage. (Full article...)

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