Multiple Injured as Rough Air Hits A Delta Airlines Flight Landing at Sydney, Australia

Multiple passengers and crew were hurt after a Delta Airlines aircraft originating in LA to Sydney, Australia was hit by significant turbulence on Friday morning.

Delta Flight 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it touched down at Sydney Airport, an airline spokesperson told. Four flight attendants required medical attention.

Local paramedics reported they assessed five patients, and transferred a trio to the hospital with relatively minor issues that such as spinal discomfort and head pain. Those affected ranged from their 30s to 70s.

It is the latest incident of planes encountering severe turbulence, with researchers indicating that global warming is a major factor.

On board were nearly 250 travelers and 15 crew members on the aircraft, the representative added, stating that the plane touched down "safely and normally" at Sydney Airport at 06:48 local time on Friday.

Emergency responders indicated they got a call just a mere three minutes prior to the plane touched down, and emergency vehicles were waiting on the tarmac.

Why in-flight bumpiness is becoming increasingly prevalent - and often stronger.

Last year, two dozen individuals were injured when a Delta Airlines flight, on a route from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, Netherlands, encountered "considerable" rough air just a couple of hours into the transoceanic journey, and diverted for an emergency landing.

Earlier this year, passengers and crew on a Singapore Airlines jet experienced a harrowing brief five-second period of extreme instability. One passenger passed away and many were hurt, as those without seatbelts lifted out of their seats and fell back down.

Bumpy air is not uncommon on aircraft journeys, and while cases of rough conditions are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are remained quite uncommon.

Research indicates that there are around five thousand cases of severe-or-greater turbulence annually, out of a total of in excess of 35 million flights that are conducted worldwide.

Intense turbulence is described as when the sudden jolts of a plane going through rough air masses apply more than a significant G-force on your body - enough to lift you out of your seat if you weren't wearing a restraint.

As a changing climate modifies atmospheric conditions, specialists caution that commercial aviation could become bumpier: shifts in temperature and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are projected to boost the occurrence and strength of significant turbulence.