flight turbulence forecast

QR12 turbulence forecast

Qatar Airways · London (LHR) to Doha (DOH)

Next departure at its usual time · Sun 8 Nov, 19:25 London time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air QR12 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchLight

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

LHR19:25London
6h 45m
DOH04:10Doha
Model run 6 Nov, 12:00 UTC · checked just now
LHRDOH
SmoothLightModerateSevere The planned route of QR12, coloured stretch by stretch by its forecast.
Bumpiest stretch
Light
Flight time
6h 45m
Distance
5,246 km
Cruise altitude
37,000 ft
Aircraft
Boeing 777

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 1h2h3h4h5h Take off Landing

Where, and why

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

LHR · Take off0m – 39mLight

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.

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 – 3h 57mSmooth

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.

Cruise3h 57m – 4h 21mLight

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.

Cruise4h 21m – 6h 45mSmooth

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

Around 6h 30m into the flight the forecast has thunderstorms about 100 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 QR12 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 QR12 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

QR12 · Tue 20 OctArrived · 13 min late
Departs · LHR
19:38
Scheduled 19:25 · Terminal 4
Arrives · DOH
04:23
Scheduled 04:10

Last update 17 days ago

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

The aircraft

What QR12 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Boeing 777

Type code
B777
Seats on this flight
354

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

Qatar Airways

Flying since
1993
Alliance
Oneworld
Hubs
Doha
Country
Qatar

Qatar Airways safety record →

on your lock screen

QR12 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

London (LHR) → Doha (DOH)

Distance
5,246 km
Flight time
6h 45m
Usual departure
19:25 local
Usual arrival
04:10 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent QR12 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Tue 20 Oct B777 Light 13 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 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 QR12 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 QR12

Will QR12 be bumpy?

For the flight on Sun 8 Nov: Smooth most of the way, with some 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 QR12?

Recently QR12 has been flown with: B777. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is QR12?

About 6h 45m gate to gate from London to Doha, a distance of about 5,246 km.

What time does QR12 leave?

QR12 usually departs London at 19:25 local time and arrives in Doha at 04:10 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on QR12?

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 QR12 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.

QR12Light