Flights Are Getting Bumpier And Bumpier. Here's Why
By Amanda Finn
VACATIONS
In the last few years, flights have become pretty bumpy, and the frequent turbulence means more potential for injury, nervous flying, and even missing out on in-flight meals.
University of Reading professor Paul Williams told CNN, "We ran some computer simulations and found that severe turbulence could double or triple in the coming decades."
In addition to added severity, the amount of time fliers will experience turbulence will likely also go up. "The seat belt sign will be switched on a lot more," said Williams.
Researchers believe that warmer air from climate change has produced an uptick in clear-air turbulence, which seemingly comes out of nowhere and is hard to prepare for.
To stay safe, always listen for announcements from the flight crew and take the precautions they recommend. Also, keep your seatbelt on unless you need to go somewhere.
To further increase your safety during turbulence, keep personal items fully underneath the seat in front of you and be sure to firmly shut the overhead bin after storing luggage.