OVER A RECENT 141-year period a North Atlantic winter jet stream moved closer to Ireland and increased in speed, new research has shown.

Jet streams are fast bands of air which flow around the globe about 10,000 metres above the Earth’s surface.

The changes noted in this particular jet stream have impacted storms and temperature patterns in the northern hemisphere. 

A new study from the ICARUS climate research centre at Maynooth University looked at the jet stream over a 141-year period and found it is increasing in speed and moving northwards.

This means the jet stream over the North Atlantic has moved closer to Ireland and the increase in its speed results in more intense storms.  

Lead author on the study Dr Samantha Hallam said the trends observed in this research “are potential indicators of climate change”. 

A report last year from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said that human-induced climate change is impacting many weather and climate extremes around the world. 

Dr Hallam told The Journal: “Just last week the jet stream brought [storms] Dudley, Eunice and Franklin to Ireland.” 

She said the average position of the jet stream is closer to Ireland particularly in the winter months. 

“So the jet stream has been broadly located over Ireland in the last week or so, which is what brought the storms.” 

The research showed that the average winter jet speed has increased by 8% (16 km/h) between 1871 and 2011. 

Dr Hallam said this increase was consistent over the decades. 

“If that trend continues, storms could potentially be more powerful [in the years ahead],” she said.

The research also found that the average winter northern hemisphere jet stream over the North Atlantic and Eurasia has moved 330km north during the same period.

The study compared the jet stream across different oceans and continents and found that trends varied depending on regions and seasons.

For example, no increase in jet latitude or speed was noted in the north Pacific during the time period analysed. 

The research was published today in the scientific journal Climate Dynamics.  

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