"Mountain Waves"

Oscar Bravo

There is a Sigmet in the Scottish FIR until 2200Z for Mountain Waves South from a line 57 Degrees North.Are Mountain Waves or similar conditions a regular occurance here?

Su Campu

Very much so. We had them today, as can be seen by the wave-like cloud patterns below. Met Éireann's aviation chart has theme mentioned for northern parts tonight.

http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/index.php?subset=Europe_2_01.2011135.aqua.1km

Oscar Bravo

Thanks Su,there now forecast in the London FIR until 0200 from 5000ft to 25000ft.

Neworder79

Didn't Aer Arann have a serious run in with this landing in Donegal a few years back. The crew made an approach passing close to the peak of Mt Errigal and encountered wind shear on the leeward side. A crew member and several passengers were injured while they temporality lost control of the plane.

xflyer

You don't need mountain wave conditions to encounter turbulence on the leeward side of mountains and hills. Luckily in Ireland there are few enough real mountains, unlike Scotland.

Some spectacular lenticular clouds around the last few days.

jmayo

Oscar Bravo wrote: »

There is a Sigmet in the Scottish FIR until 2200Z for Mountain Waves South from a line 57 Degrees North.Are Mountain Waves or similar conditions a regular occurance here?

That's why one of the best places for moutain wave gliding in these islands is Deeside Gliding club in Aboyne, Aberdeeshire in Scotland.
The UK altitude record was set there and is 38600 Ft.

Imagine looking out window of jet and seeing some poor devil frozen half to death in a little old glider up there.

AFAIK the Irish record is around 21,000 set in Kerry.