flight turbulence forecast

MU290 turbulence forecast

China Eastern Airlines · Stockholm (ARN) to Shanghai (PVG)

Next departure at its usual time · Fri 6 Nov, 22:40 Stockholm time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air MU290 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchLight

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

ARN22:40Stockholm
9h 55m
PVG14:35Shanghai
Model run 6 Nov, 12:00 UTC · checked just now
ARNPVG
SmoothLightModerateSevere The line is the planned route of MU290, coloured by its own forecast. The shading is the bumpy air and storms forecast at cruise height around the middle of the flight.
Bumpiest stretch
Light
Flight time
9h 55m
Distance
7,788 km
Cruise altitude
37,000 ft
Weather models
3 blended
Model agreement
High
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 1h2h3h4h5h6h7h8h9h Take off Landing

Where, and why

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

ARN · 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.

Cruise38m – 1h 24mLight

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.

Cruise1h 24m – 9h 55mSmooth

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.

in the app

This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.

A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add MU290 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 MU290 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

MU290 · Thu 22 OctArrived · 20 min late
Departs · ARN
22:55
Scheduled 22:40 · Terminal 5
Arrives · PVG
14:55
Scheduled 14:35 · Terminal 1

Last update 14 days ago

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

The aircraft

What MU290 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Airbus A330-200

Type code
A332
Seats on this flight
232
First flew
1992
In service since
1994
Economy seating
2-4-2
Engines
2
Range
11,750 km
Cabin pressure equal to
8,000 ft

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.

Airbus A330 safety record →

The airline

China Eastern Airlines

China Eastern Airlines operates MU290.

on your lock screen

MU290 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

Stockholm (ARN) → Shanghai (PVG)

Distance
7,788 km
Flight time
9h 55m
Usual departure
22:40 local
Usual arrival
14:35 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent MU290 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Thu 22 Oct A330 Light 20 min late

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 3 independent global weather models, and corrected with turbulence reports radioed in by pilots in the last few hours. Each new model run replaces the forecast; nothing here is a guess from the airline's history.

The independent weather models behind this forecast agree on this ride.

Planned route · timing and conditions may change.

the live map

Watch the air along the route move

The app draws the route of MU290 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 MU290

Will MU290 be bumpy?

For the flight on Fri 6 Nov: Smooth most of the way, with occasional light bumps 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 MU290?

Recently MU290 has been flown with: Airbus A330. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is MU290?

About 9h 55m gate to gate from Stockholm to Shanghai, a distance of about 7,788 km.

What time does MU290 leave?

MU290 usually departs Stockholm at 22:40 local time and arrives in Shanghai at 14:35 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on MU290?

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 MU290 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.

MU290Light