The currents of air that wrap around our planet are becoming unrecognizable to climate scientists.
Some have even compared the chaotic pattern of the jet streams to a Van Gogh painting.
The southern part of the jet stream over North America has completely broken apart and is currently trapped in a vicious revolution that has triggered an off-the-chart heatwave.
While it’s normal for the air currents to stop, split apart, recombine and flow in opposite directions, on average these tropospheric air streams are typically quite continuous over long distances with an overall west to east flow.
(below, my most recent jet stream update)
The current fragmentation is unlike anything specialists have seen before.
“When I look at this jet stream the word insane comes to mind,” tweeted the chief meteorologist of a local Florida news station, Jeff Berardelli.
“This configuration, likely enhanced by climate heating, is fueling a record heat dome so extreme that even experts are astonished!”
God bless that slow, incremental change. It is sooooo civil.
I wonder if this will blow forecasting models all to hell?