JET STREAM Definition & Meaning

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jet stream

noun

strong, generally westerly winds concentrated in a relatively narrow and shallow stream in the upper troposphere of the earth.
similar strong winds in the atmosphere of another planet:
jet streams on Jupiter.
the exhaust of a jet or rocket engine.

jet stream

noun

meteorol a narrow belt of high-altitude winds (about 12 000 metres high) moving east at high speeds and having an important effect on frontogenesis
the jet of exhaust gases produced by a gas turbine, rocket motor, etc

jet stream

A narrow current of strong wind circling the Earth from west to east at altitudes of about 11 to 13 km (7 to 8 mi) above sea level. There are usually four distinct jet streams, two each in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Jet stream wind speeds average 56 km (34 mi) per hour in the summer and 120 km (74 mi) in the winter. They are caused by significant differences in the temperatures of adjacent air masses. These differences occur where cold, polar air meets warmer, equatorial air, especially in the latitudes of the westerlies.

jet stream

A narrow band of swiftly moving air found at very high altitudes.

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Notes

Movements of the jet stream have important (but generally short-lived) effects on weather patterns.

Travel time in an airplane can be lengthened or shortened by the jet stream, depending on the direction of flight and the strength of the stream.

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of jet stream¹

First recorded in 1945–50

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

A stronger jet stream over the Atlantic will bring our weather in from the west.

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However, recently we have seen another surge of frigid arctic air across Canada and the US which has helped fire up a strong jet stream across the Atlantic.

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With a jet stream flowing high up above the Atlantic, pilots will often catch a ride in it from the US to Europe to save fuel and time.

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Temperature fluctuations arise directly from how the jet stream - the fast-moving ribbon of air high up in the atmosphere - behaves.

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The jet stream is currently flowing quite far north of the UK.

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