Situated at a staggering altitude of 3,500 metres above the mean sea level, Leh occupies an important spot on the international tourist map. The scenic city in the Himalayas attracts a large number of tourists both from home and abroad every year.
But in the past some months, parts of Northern India have been suffering brutally extreme temperatures. Jammu and Kashmir recently recorded the highest July temperatures in 25 years. Leh has not been exempt either as temperatures soar to the mid-20s.
Is climate change making air turbulence more intense?
Increases in temperatures, regardless of changes in humidity levels, usually get the surrounding air expanded and eventually thin. Thinner air means aircraft engines have lesser number of air molecules to compress and combust, so the airplane is unable to lift off.
It is majorly considered unsafe to operate aircraft in such conditions. The danger of flying through an atmosphere carrying varying air density is that it can lead to air turbulence. Cases of turbulent flights have become immensely common these days.
Turbulence is a chaotic movement of air. Regular air turbulence is completely normal and can even be predicted in majority of the cases. But severe turbulence can cause pilots to temporarily lose control of the aircraft as the flight faces abrupt changes in altitude.
Sizeable changes in air density triggering flight cancellations
Extreme air turbulence can get the aircraft completely out of control. The flight might get tossed around violently. In such cases, the chances of the aircraft suffering structural damage and passengers sustaining severe injuries is much higher.
On July 28, all flights travelling in and out of the airport in Leh got cancelled. Several airlines released simple statements blaming bad atmospheric conditions. But the sizeable change in the air density due to higher temperatures is an important reason for flight disruptions.
READ MORE : Does your house need an air purifier? Check out all factors to consider
