Freakishly-high winds, near a record, recently gave some trans-Atlantic flights a boost to speeds that, on ground, would have broken the sound barrier, with ground speeds of well over 800 mph recorded.
The speeds, which got planes from the U.S. to the U.K. as much as 45 minutes ahead of plan, were the result of jet-stream winds that hit 265 mph, according to the U.S. Weather Service. Usually those winds, which blow eastward across the Atlantic, are closer to 110 mph.
Among the affected flights were several flying between New York and London, and Newark and Lisbon. While the strong tailwinds give a speed boost and lower fuel consumption in that direction, they also mean delays and higher fuel costs, as well as more turbulence for planes flying in the other direction.
The extraordinarily high winds result from a combination of factors. In this case, extremely cold air in the north vs warmer in the south was involved, as well as El Niño winds to the south.
