Last Updated: March 3, 2023
Can Planes Take Off In Thunderstorms? All The Info
Want to know more about planes taking off and flying in thunderstorms? Then you’re in the right place because this guide includes everything you need to know about how severe weather can impact aircraft and flights!
Is it safe for planes to take off and land in thunderstorms, what weather conditions are most dangerous for aircraft, and whether storms cancel flights are just some of the topics covered in this guide. I’ve covered everything you need to know about flying in thunderstorms, including when pilots and air traffic control prefer to keep the plane grounded to ensure the safety of crew and passengers.
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Can A Plane Take Off In A Thunderstorm?
In theory, an airplane is perfectly capable of taking off in a thunderstorm. But in practice, pilots and air traffic control usually prefer to keep the aircraft grounded until the overall weather conditions improve. This is because of passenger safety and comfort – although many pilots are capable of taking off in a thunderstorm, it’s certainly not a nice feeling and would leave many passengers feeling terrified.
Can Planes Land In A Thunderstorm?
Airplanes can land safely in thunderstorms, and many of them often do. However, it generally depends on current weather conditions and the pilot’s expertise, and it’s often up to the pilots to decide whether they can safely land a plane in challenging weather conditions.
The main risk during thunderstorms are microbursts – small but very strong columns of air. Microbursts can significantly affect the direction of a plane, which in turn makes it very difficult for a pilot to retain control of the aircraft.
Can Planes Fly In Thunderstorms?
Modern aircraft can and often fly through thunderstorms, but it’s not the best feeling in the world. Jetsreams and windy weather can increase the risk of turbulence, which may not pose a real threat to passengers, but never feels good to experience.
Also, planes will often avoid thunderstorms when they’re flying at cruising altitudes. The cruising altitude of a plane is around 35,000 feet, and most thunderstorms and rain happen much lower in the atmosphere. So, if the weather permits takeoff and landing, there shouldn’t be any major issues during the actual flight.
Dangers of Flying During Thunderstorms
Hail
Hail is generally considered extremely dangerous and most pilots will avoid flying in hail thunderstorms. This is because hail easily causes physical damage to aircraft, especially at higher altitudes where hailstones tend to be much bigger than what we see on the ground.
Pilots are advised to expect hail at higher altitudes during any thunderstorm, even if there is only heavy rain on the ground. Hailstones that are more than 0.5” in diameter can cause severe damage to the aircraft, especially to the nose of the plane, the cockpit, and the wings, which can in turn significantly decrease visibility and worsen the safety situation.
Air traffic controllers and pilots prefer to keep planes on the ground during hail thunderstorms, at least until the conditions can be improved enough to guarantee the safety of passengers and crew.
Microburst
Microburst is a sudden but powerful gust of air that can impact a plane’s direction and the pilot’s ability to control the aircraft. An airplane can usually encounter this phenomenon during landing and takeoff, and it can be particularly dangerous for the aircraft because it is moving at a very low speed.
Because of this, air traffic control will often not permit planes to take off or land if there is a high possibility of microbursts that can impact the pilot’s ability to control the plane. But that’s only if the plane cannot avoid a microburst, which doesn’t happen very often because of modern alert systems.
Lightning
Lightning strikes sound scary, but they actually cause minimal damage to commercial aircraft. In fact, most commercial planes will suffer a lightning strike a few times a year, so this is something that planes are perfectly equipped to deal with.
The damage from a lightning strike varies. It can be purely cosmetic in some cases, but it’s also possible that it causes damage to the airplane skin, or even interferes with the electrical system of an aircraft. However, it’s extremely rare that a lightning strike causes serious issues on an aircraft.
Icing
Icing can occur when flying at high altitudes in extremely cold weather. Supercooled water droplets will immediately freeze upon contact with aircraft, which can be extremely dangerous. In fact, if you’re familiar with what it takes for an airplane to fly in snowy conditions, you’ll know that many flights get canceled until staff can successfully de-ice the plane.
Ice on the body of the plane can affect the airflow, which in turn makes it harder for pilots to control the aircraft. Ice buildup inside engines is extremely dangerous, but this is extremely rare and there are ways for pilots to deal with this in the air.
Wind shear
Wind shear is a change that occurs in the speed or wind direction over a particularly short distance. Wind shears can happen both vertically and horizontally, and they are usually associated with strong inversions in temperature and even density gradients.
This phenomenon can occur at both high and low altitudes, and it is considered a major hazard for planes, particularly at lower altitudes.
Flying through wind shear can cause an aircraft to lose speed and altitude, which the pilot then needs to compensate for in other ways. If the aircraft encounters strong winds during landing, it can cause the plane to land short or long and hot, depending on the reaction time of the pilot and whether the aircraft is too low to allow for recovery.
In other words, wind shear is a dangerous weather phenomenon, but it’s something experienced and confident pilots can overcome provided they react quickly and they’re not too close to the ground. Nonetheless, the hazard it poses means that most aircraft will remain grounded until the risk of wind shear is deemed minimally dangerous.
Can Thunderstorms Cause a Flight to Get Cancelled?
Yes, thunderstorms can absolutely cause flights to get canceled. Although thunderstorms usually don’t pose a risk severe enough that there is a danger of a plane crashing in one of them, they can be so strong that the pilots deem the weather too severe for takeoff and landing.
When this is the case, many flights will be delayed or even entirely canceled due to bad weather. In case of adverse weather conditions at landing, pilots may choose to land at a different airport.
Effects of Thunderstorms on Light Aicrafts
Thunderstorms are more dangerous for small planes than for commercial aircraft. The main reason why is that light aircraft are not capable of flying at very high altitudes, which would allow them to fly over thunderstorm clouds.
Also, smaller planes are not as well equipped to deal with adverse conditions, and it’s generally prohibited to fly them in bad weather. They rarely have any ice protection, and they’re more at risk from hail, wind shear, lightning, and all the other dangers that a thunderstorm poses.
Can an airplane take off or land in high winds?
Yes, modern airplanes can safely take off and land even in high winds. It will be a little bumpy during takeoff and landing, but pilots can usually complete both stages of the flight safely.
However, extremely strong winds will cause flight delays. Takeoff and landing are usually prohibited when the speed of wind exceeds 34-40 mph because it becomes extremely difficult to guarantee a perfectly safe takeoff/landing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a type of thunderstorm that poses a greater threat to an aircraft?
Yes, those would be supercell thunderstorms that often produce golf-ball-sized hailstones and severe turbulence. Those two pose the greatest threat to aircraft, and hail in particular is considered very dangerous because it can cause damage to the aircraft’s body.
The radome of a plane is most at risk, and that is part of the plane that houses the weather radar systems which are very important for pilots. Hail can also damage the windshields in the cockpit, which ultimately poses a threat to the pilots and can significantly decrease visibility.
Can a thunderstorm bring down a plane?
It can in theory, but it is extremely unlikely that a thunderstorm would bring down an aircraft. In fact, most modern aircraft can be struck by lightning and suffer nothing more than cosmetic damage.
So, although it might be scary to fly through thunder and lightning, the chances of it causing any damage to the actual airplane are truly minimal. Hail, rain, and wind are all considered much more dangerous for airplanes than thunder and lightning strikes.
Also, I must point out that the highest risk of injuries during severe turbulence is falling. It’s much more likely that you will get hurt if you are walking around the cabin during turbulence, or that luggage might fall on you, than that the plane will crash. So, keep that in mind, and listen to the cabin crew when they tell you it’s time to buckle down and wait for the turbulence to be over.
Can A plane take off in scattered thunderstorms?
Yes, aircraft can take off in scattered thunderstorms. Scattered thunderstorms are usually spread out over a larger area, so they’re actually less dangerous for airplanes. Rain, hail, and microbursts are less concentrated, so the overall risk for airplanes is lower, allowing them to take off, fly, and land safely.
Does a plane fly above storms?
Sometimes, but not always. If a plane’s flight altitude is above the thunderstorm clouds, then planes can safely fly above storms. However, the most violent storms usually come from the tallest clouds, and planes cannot always fly high enough to cruise over these. That’s why many pilots will fly longer routes, to try and fly around these storms, if they’re allowed to fly in such weather at all.
RELATED POST: CAN A PLANE TAKE OFF IN SNOW?
About the Author Roger Timbrook
Roger is a little obsessed with travel. He has been to over 40 countries, broken 3 suitcases and owned over 10 backpacks in 12 months. What he doesn't know about travel, ain't worth knowing!
