Jet streams are narrow, fast-flowing air

Position 1: These amplified meanders can lock weather systems in place for extended periods, increasing the frequency of extreme events such as heatwaves and floods.

Position 2: They form along the boundaries between large air masses of sharply contrasting temperatures, driven by the thermal gradient between the poles and the tropics.

Position 3: Recent research suggests that Arctic amplification—the accelerated warming of polar regions—is causing the jet stream to meander in larger, slower waves.

Position 4: Jet streams are narrow, fast-flowing air currents located in the upper troposphere that exert a profound influence on surface weather patterns.

Position 5: Because jet streams steer mid-latitude cyclones, their position largely determines whether a region experiences prolonged wet or dry spells.