flight turbulence forecast

SQ308 turbulence forecast

Singapore Airlines · Singapore (SIN) to London (LHR)

Next departure at its usual time · Mon 9 Nov, 09:00 Singapore time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air SQ308 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchLight

Smooth most of the way, with occasional light bumps mid-flight. Barely moves your drink.

SIN09:00Singapore
14h 20m
LHR15:20London
Model run 6 Nov, 18:00 UTC · checked just now
SINLHR
SmoothLightModerateSevere The planned route of SQ308, coloured stretch by stretch by its forecast.
Bumpiest stretch
Light
Flight time
14h 20m
Distance
10,894 km
Cruise altitude
37,000 ft
Aircraft
Airbus A380

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 2h4h6h8h10h12h Take off Landing

Where, and why

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

Cruise0m – 7h 7mSmooth

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.

Cruise7h 7m – 7h 59mLight

Mountain waves

Wind blowing over a mountain range makes waves in the air downstream, the way water ripples over rocks in a stream, and those waves can reach cruising height. They are forecast from the same wind and terrain data used here, so the crew knows where they are before departure.

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.

Cruise7h 59m – 14h 20mSmooth

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 2h 18m and 8h 27m into the flight the forecast has a few thunderstorms, some on the planned line itself.

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 closest of these is within the 20 nm the crew has to keep, so expect a small turn around it. The line on the map is the planned route; the real track will bend around the storm.

in the app

This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.

A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add SQ308 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 SQ308 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

SQ308 · Fri 6 NovScheduled
Departs · SIN
09:00
Singapore · Terminal 3
Arrives · LHR
15:20
London · Terminal 2

Last update 23 h ago

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

The aircraft

What SQ308 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Airbus A380-800

Type code
A388
Seats on this flight
471
First flew
2005
In service since
2007
Economy seating
3-4-3 · 2-4-2
Engines
4
Range
15,000 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 A380 safety record →

The airline

Singapore Airlines

Flying since
1972
Alliance
Star Alliance
Hubs
Singapore
Country
Singapore

Singapore Airlines safety record →

on your lock screen

SQ308 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

Singapore (SIN) → London (LHR)

Distance
10,894 km
Flight time
14h 20m
Usual departure
09:00 local
Usual arrival
15:20 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent SQ308 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Fri 6 Nov A380 Light On time

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 SQ308 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 SQ308

Will SQ308 be bumpy?

For the flight on Mon 9 Nov: Smooth most of the way, with occasional light bumps mid-flight. Barely moves your drink. The forecast is replaced with every new weather model run, so check back closer to departure.

What plane flies SQ308?

Recently SQ308 has been flown with: Airbus A380. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is SQ308?

About 14h 20m gate to gate from Singapore to London, a distance of about 10,894 km.

What time does SQ308 leave?

SQ308 usually departs Singapore at 09:00 local time and arrives in London at 15:20 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on SQ308?

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 SQ308 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.

SQ308Light