flight turbulence forecast

SQ238 turbulence forecast

Singapore Airlines · Melbourne (MEL) to Singapore (SIN)

Next departure at its usual time · Sat 7 Nov, 10:15 Melbourne time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air SQ238 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchSmooth

Smooth all the way. Sit back and enjoy the view.

MEL10:15Melbourne
8h
SIN15:15Singapore
Model run 5 Nov, 18:00 UTC · checked just now
MELSIN
SmoothLightModerateSevere The line is the planned route of SQ238, 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
Smooth
Flight time
8h
Distance
6,040 km
Cruise altitude
37,000 ft
Weather models
3 blended
Model agreement
High
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 1h2h3h4h5h6h7h Take off Landing

Where, and why

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

Cruise0m – 8hSmooth

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 SQ238 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 SQ238 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

SQ238 · Sat 24 OctArrived · 11 min early
Departs · MEL
10:07
Scheduled 10:15 · Terminal 2
Arrives · SIN
15:04
Scheduled 15:15 · Terminal 3

Last update 13 days ago

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

The aircraft

What SQ238 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Boeing 777-300

Type code
B773
Seats on this flight
264
First flew
1994
In service since
1995
Economy seating
3-4-3
Engines
2
Range
13,890 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.

Boeing 777 safety record →

The airline

Singapore Airlines

Flying since
1972
Alliance
Star Alliance
Hubs
Singapore
Country
Singapore

Singapore Airlines safety record →

on your lock screen

SQ238 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

Melbourne (MEL) → Singapore (SIN)

Distance
6,040 km
Flight time
8h
Usual departure
10:15 local
Usual arrival
15:15 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent SQ238 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Sat 24 Oct 777 Light 11 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 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 SQ238 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 SQ238

Will SQ238 be bumpy?

For the flight on Sat 7 Nov: Smooth all the way. Sit back and enjoy the view. The forecast is replaced with every new weather model run, so check back closer to departure.

What plane flies SQ238?

Recently SQ238 has been flown with: Boeing 777. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is SQ238?

About 8h gate to gate from Melbourne to Singapore, a distance of about 6,040 km.

What time does SQ238 leave?

SQ238 usually departs Melbourne at 10:15 local time and arrives in Singapore at 15:15 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on SQ238?

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 SQ238 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.

SQ238Smooth