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Storm Ciarán is driven by unusually strong jet streams across the Atlantic.
The winds also caused the planes to fly towards Europe at speeds over 1,200 kilometers per hour.
“Crazy fast,” tweeted meteorologist Chris Jackson.
Storm Ciarán moved in on Wednesday evening over the British Isles and the European Atlantic coast. Weather warnings were issued in the UK, France and Spain, among others.
With water levels already elevated after storm Babet almost two weeks ago, the British south coast is not least preparing for flooding.
Ciarán is a so-called bomb cyclone. It may sound extra dramatic, but is one accepted meteorological term for a low pressure that deepens sharply in a short time.
However, the storm itself is not moving that fast, according to Clare Nasir at the UK Met Office.
– Therefore, it will be with us for at least two and a half days, if not three. Most places will be affected in some way by this storm, she tells Sky News.
Fertilized by jet stream
Ciarán is driven by an extra-strong jet stream, an easterly wind system about 10 kilometers up in the air over the Atlantic.
The winds caused several intercontinental flights to sniff the sound barrier during the night towards Wednesday, writes CNN.
For example, American Airlines flight 106 from New York to London had a top speed of 1,252 kilometers per hour (676 knots) and landed 54 minutes ahead of schedule.
The same speed on the ground would have meant that the plane broke through the sound barrier with a loud bang. However, it doesn’t work that way at cruising altitude.
“Remember that airspeed is how fast an aircraft is moving relative to a fixed point on the ground while true airspeed is the speed an aircraft has compared to the surrounding air. Regardless, these airplanes have saved time and money,” said CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam.
“Crazy fast”
The jet stream made the airplanes travel more than 300 kilometers per hour faster than normal.
“We’re going to have some crazy fast intercontinental flights from North America to Europe tonight. Right now we have 66 flights reaching speeds over 620 knots (1,148 km/h),” tweeted meteorologist Chris Jackson on Tuesday night.
However, no speed record was broken. In February 2020, a Boeing 747 from British Airways flew at 1,328 kilometers per hour on its way from New York to London, writes CNN. That time, too, the speed was boosted by strong jet streams.