I know this has already been asked by The Venerable Bede but does anyone KNOW what will happen if the jet stream stays where it is, for the forseeable future.
2007-08-30 05:07:50 · 7 answers · asked by frchrisfgn 2 in Environment ➔ Global Warming
The jet stream is a river of moving air. Its moving meanders take cold air south and warm moist air north. It is a driver of weather change. If it stays the same pattern, weather will remain stable in the areas influenced by the jet stream. But, it very existence will force itself to change just as a real river can shift in its banks and make a new meander or cut an old one off into a horseshoe lake.
2007-08-30 08:02:16 · answer #1 · answered by Owl Eye 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Going by your other Q's and A's I guess you're in the UK.
At the moment the jet stream is lying further south than usual for the time of year, ordinarily it would be passing somewhere between Scotland and Iceland but it's currently passing over Wales, Central England and across the North Sea to Scandinavia.
The Jet Stream, as the name sort of implies, is a stream of very fast moving air, often about 100 mph, not unusual to reach 200mph, occasionally exceeding 500 mph.
In the UK it's acting as a barrier and has prevented the Azores High moving north across the UK, effectively it's stopped summer from reaching the UK and is a major player in the dull and exceptionally wet weather in recent months.
There are huge seasonal variations in the Jet Stream and at this time of year it's reduced to quite a narrow band of comparatively slow moving air confined to the northern latitudes. Come winter it will extend across much of the northern hemisphere (except the Arctic) with much faster wind speeds.
The Jet Stream is complex and dynamic but exists within certain parameters, what we're seeing now is sort of unusual but not untoward. Because of the regular seasonal variations it has predictable behavioural patterns and as such it is, for all intents and purposes, impossible for it to stay where it is.
If for whatever reason it didn't move then we'd see more of the same weather - namely lots of rain. In winter it could allow a mass of Arctic air to settle to the north of the Jet Stream and this could bring a repeat of 1995 with record low temperatures and intense snowfalls in Scotland and the north of England.
Don't worry, it will move.
2007-08-30 18:49:14 · answer #2 · answered by Trevor 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Warm temperatures move up from the equator toward the jet stream. Precipitation is strongest close to the jet stream. As you move away from it things get drier.
Basic meteorology.
2007-08-30 12:32:37 · answer #3 · answered by Bob 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Jet Stream doesn't stay in one place now, it wanders all over the place. Its strength (speed) varies considerably as well. Neither effect is clearly understood as far as I know.
2007-08-30 13:17:02 · answer #4 · answered by tomsp10 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Record snowfall in the Northern Hemisphere.
2007-08-30 13:37:49 · answer #5 · answered by Tomcat 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
tricky matter. browse onto the search engines. just that could help!
2014-11-29 23:37:21 · answer #6 · answered by hallie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe? Maybe not? Who knows?
2007-08-30 12:18:28 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋