The weather has returned to the spring-like state that defined the final weeks of January and the early days of February. Aside from a few weekend days with rain, the week began softly across most of the country. Even with overcast skies in some areas, the air felt pleasant, and temperatures hovered between 15 and 20 degrees in most provinces.
According to the forecasts, this first quarter of the year is expected to run warmer overall. The national meteorology service reports that January through March are likely to bring a warm winter for much of the peninsula, with a roughly 50 percent chance of warmth and a 30 percent chance of colder conditions. Regarding precipitation, the odds of a wet, normal, or dry winter are similar, except in the northwest where the probability of wetter-than-normal conditions is higher, around 50 percent, compared with 30 percent for a normal winter and 20 percent for a dry one.
In addition to sharing meteorological predictions, the meteorologist associated with eltiempo.es remains highly active on social media. The goal is to raise awareness about climate change and its consequences, as well as other natural phenomena and curiosities occurring around the world.
Climate change is also linked to a significant problem for air travel. Scientific studies show that instances of severe turbulence have been increasing. This rise has been observed in both domestic and long-haul flights, and it often leads to injuries and episodes of panic and anxiety among passengers.
The most challenging part for pilots is that turbulence in clear air is not easily predicted. Researchers from the Atmospheric Sciences Department at a major university have stated that reliable predictions for this type of turbulence are not feasible. The phenomenon is nearly invisible and frequently surprises pilots.
Human-driven climate change is thought to be intensifying this turbulence. Experts explain that most aircraft, especially long-range ones, travel through the stratosphere. The wind shear that causes turbulence is driven by temperature differences between the poles and the equator, and those gradients are changing as global warming reduces polar ice. As a result, stratospheric winds have become more variable, contributing to stronger wind shear and greater turbulence, according to the researchers and climate scientists involved.