What is a sting jet?

A sting jet is a meteorological phenomenon that forms as a part of some rapidly developing mid-latitude storms.

The 'sting' part of the name refers to the scorpion's tail like shape that the clouds around a sting jet take on.

The sting jet contains the most damaging winds, which can reach speeds of more than 100 mph.

The most famous example of a sting jet formed during the Great Storm of 1987, which brought gusts of 115 mph to parts of Britain - and was responsible for knocking down an estimated 15 million trees.

To learn more about the history of meteorology and the science behind the weather headlines, you can listen to our audio podcasts here:

https://soundcloud.com/metofficepodcasts