Home
Weather New York
WeatherRadar
RainRadar
TemperatureRadar
WindRadar
LightningRadar
Weather News
Editor's Pick
Discover the app
Weather widget
Contact us
Apps
Career
    Home / Weather News /

    Strong jet stream winds: Flights hit supersonic speed

12:00 PM
February 23, 2024

Strong jet stream winds
Flights hit supersonic speed

plane

Three flights recently hit supersonic speed traveling from the US to Europe this week, all thanks to the jet stream.

Last weekend, three passenger flights reached speeds of well over 800 mph, higher than the speed of sound which is marked at 767 mph.

A Newark to Lisbon flight hit 835 mph, while a Washington to London hit 802 mph. Usually these planes, which were operated by a Boeing 787 aircraft, travel at speeds of around 600 mph.

The planes were traveling over the speed of sound relative to the ground, but they weren't moving over 700 mph faster than the air around them. Because the planes were traveling within the jet stream’s flow, they did not break the sound barrier.

The jet stream was particularly strong in recent days, powering across the Atlantic from west to east. While this meant fast flight times traveling from the U.S. over to Europe, it would have also meant a bit of a bumpy ride back the other way.

Turbulence: Flight secretsread more

According to the National Weather Service, wind speeds in the jet stream peaked at around 265 mph, making it one of the highest upper-level wind recordings in recent times.

Settings for external content

Privacy policy
Weather & Radar USA editorial team
More on the topic
A young woman is kneeling in a cornfield, tending to her plants
Sunday, April 26, 2026

WMO report

Heat is affecting agriculture globally
Saturday, April 18, 2026

Risks & preparedness

All about nocturnal severe weather
Monday, April 13, 2026

On the WeatherRadar

A cloud of Saharan dust over the Mediterranean
All weather news
This might also interest you
Sunday, May 17, 2026

Storms & snow in forecast

Big Plains, Rockies trouble
Thursday, May 21, 2026

Stay tuned!

Below-normal hurricane season possible
Heavy rain across East
Thursday, May 21, 2026

East, Plains stay chilly

A soggy holiday start
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

instagramfacebookthreadslinkList