flight turbulence forecast

AZ608 turbulence forecast

ITA Airways · Rome (FCO) to New York (JFK)

Next departure at its usual time · Sun 8 Nov, 10:15 Rome time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air AZ608 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchLight

Smooth most of the way, with light bumps mainly after takeoff. Barely moves your drink.

FCO10:15Rome
10h
JFK15:15New York
Model run 5 Nov, 18:00 UTC · checked just now
FCOJFK
SmoothLightModerateSevere The planned route of AZ608, coloured stretch by stretch by its forecast.
Bumpiest stretch
Light
Flight time
10h
Distance
6,956 km
Cruise altitude
37,000 ft
Aircraft
Airbus A330

Bumpiness along the flight

Takeoff on the left, landing on the right. The higher the line, the bumpier the air the forecast expects at that moment.

SmoothLightModerateSevere 2h4h6h8h Take off Landing

Where, and why

The flight split into stretches: how bumpy each is forecast to be, and what causes it.

FCO · Take off0m – 38mSmooth

Nothing significant forecast here.

The first minutes are flown through the lowest, liveliest air. Sun-warmed ground sends up thermals and wind bends around hills, so a bump or two while climbing is normal. It fades as the aircraft climbs into the smoother air above.

Cruise39m – 2h 26mLight

Jet-stream wind shear

Where fast air slides over slower air, usually at the edge of the jet stream, the boundary ripples like a flag. It's the most common kind of turbulence, and it's on the crew's charts before departure. When they meet it, they slow to a set turbulence speed and ride it out.

At cruise the air is thin and cold, and most of it is calm. The bumps up here come from the jet stream, a band of fast wind whose edges stir the air, or from waves set off by mountains far below. This forecast shows where those edges are.

Cruise2h 26m – 6h 2mSmooth

Nothing significant forecast here.

At cruise the air is thin and cold, and most of it is calm. The bumps up here come from the jet stream, a band of fast wind whose edges stir the air, or from waves set off by mountains far below. This forecast shows where those edges are.

Cruise6h 1m – 8h 20mLight

Jet-stream wind shear

Where fast air slides over slower air, usually at the edge of the jet stream, the boundary ripples like a flag. It's the most common kind of turbulence, and it's on the crew's charts before departure. When they meet it, they slow to a set turbulence speed and ride it out.

At cruise the air is thin and cold, and most of it is calm. The bumps up here come from the jet stream, a band of fast wind whose edges stir the air, or from waves set off by mountains far below. This forecast shows where those edges are.

Cruise8h 20m – 10hSmooth

Nothing significant forecast here.

At cruise the air is thin and cold, and most of it is calm. The bumps up here come from the jet stream, a band of fast wind whose edges stir the air, or from waves set off by mountains far below. This forecast shows where those edges are.

Thunderstorms near the route

Between 3h 20m and 7h 41m into the flight the forecast has a few thunderstorms, the nearest about 60 km from the planned line.

The ride line can stay calm with storms nearby. It follows the planned track at cruise height, above most storm tops. Pilots don't fly through storms: the weather radar in the nose shows each one, and the rule is to stay at least 20 nautical miles (about 37 km) away. Usually that means a detour of a few minutes.

The ride line stays calm here because the route as planned keeps its distance from them.

in the app

This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.

A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add AZ608 in FlyBud and you get the full turbulence map along your route, a push when the forecast for your flight changes, live tracking and your flight on the lock screen.

Flight status

The latest AZ608 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

AZ608 · Mon 26 OctArrived · 14 min early
Departs · FCO
10:03
Scheduled 10:15 · Terminal 1
Arrives · JFK
15:01
Scheduled 15:15 · Terminal 1

Last update 10 days ago

Gate changes, delays and the baggage belt, pushed to your phone as they happen.

The aircraft

What AZ608 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Airbus A330

Type code
A330
Seats on this flight
291

Bigger and heavier aircraft are moved less by the same patch of air, and every airliner is designed for much stronger turbulence than it will meet.

The airline

ITA Airways

Flying since
2020
Alliance
Star Alliance
Hubs
Rome Fiumicino, Milan Linate
Country
Italy

ITA Airways safety record →

on your lock screen

AZ608 without unlocking your phone

Gate, delay, time to landing and the next bumpy stretch, on the lock screen from boarding to the baggage belt.

The route

Rome (FCO) → New York (JFK)

Distance
6,956 km
Flight time
10h
Usual departure
10:15 local
Usual arrival
15:15 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent AZ608 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Mon 26 Oct A330 Light 14 min early

What each level feels like

Smooth
Calm air. Nothing to notice beyond the hum of the engines.
Light
Gentle ripples and the odd dip. Drinks stay put, and walking to the toilet is fine.
Moderate
Clear bumps. Drinks may slosh and the belt sign comes on. Uncomfortable, but the pilots stay in full control.
Severe
Strong jolts, and loose items can move. This is rare, and it's why the belt sign exists. Crews slow down and change altitude to get out of it.

How this forecast is made

The planned route is sampled from gate to gate at the altitude the aircraft flies, through a global weather model, and corrected with turbulence reports radioed in by pilots in the last few hours. Each new model run replaces the forecast.

Planned route · timing and conditions may change.

the live map

Watch the air along the route move

The app draws the route of AZ608 over the moving forecast: bumpy air, storms and the winds at cruise height. Scrub through the flight hour by hour.

Why turbulence isn't dangerous

Aircraft are designed for much worse.

Airliners are tested to loads well beyond anything turbulence produces. The wings are meant to flex, so seeing them move is normal.

Crews know where it is.

Your crew has forecasts like this one, live reports from other pilots and their own weather radar, and they change altitude to stay out of bumpy air.

Keep your belt on.

Almost all turbulence injuries happen to people who are standing or not buckled in. Seated with your belt on, turbulence is uncomfortable but not dangerous.

Is turbulence dangerous? The long answer →

Questions about AZ608

Will AZ608 be bumpy?

For the flight on Sun 8 Nov: Smooth most of the way, with light bumps mainly after takeoff. Barely moves your drink. The forecast is replaced with every new weather model run, so check back closer to departure.

What plane flies AZ608?

Recently AZ608 has been flown with: A330. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is AZ608?

About 10h gate to gate from Rome to New York, a distance of about 6,956 km.

What time does AZ608 leave?

AZ608 usually departs Rome at 10:15 local time and arrives in New York at 15:15 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on AZ608?

Turbulence is uncomfortable, not dangerous to the aircraft. Airliners are certified for loads far beyond anything turbulence produces, and crews plan around the bumpy patches with the same kind of forecast as this one. Injuries are almost always to people who were standing or unbuckled, so keep your seatbelt fastened whenever you're seated.

How accurate is this turbulence forecast?

It is a forecast, so it is best within a day or so of departure and improves with every model run. The bumpy patches it finds are usually in the right place, but their timing can shift by a few minutes and the crew may change altitude to avoid them, so the ride you get is often smoother than the forecast.

flybud

Fly AZ608 knowing what's ahead

The turbulence forecast for your exact flight, live tracking, delay alerts and arrival weather. Built for people who'd rather know.

AZ608Light