A Number of Hurt as Rough Air Strikes A Delta Airlines Flight Arriving in Sydney, Australia

Multiple passengers and crew were hurt following a Delta flight traveling from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia encountered significant turbulence this past Friday.

Flight DL41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it landed at the Sydney airport, a company official told. Four flight attendants sustained injuries.

Emergency medical services reported they evaluated five patients, and took three of them to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries that comprised back pain and headaches. The patients' ages ranged from their 30s to 70s.

It is the most recent case of planes experiencing severe turbulence, with aviation specialists indicating that shifting climate patterns is a key driver.

There were 245 passengers and 15 crew members on the aircraft, the official said, clarifying that the plane landed "without further incident" at Sydney Airport at 06:48 local time on the day in question.

Emergency responders reported they were alerted just only 180 seconds prior to the plane arrived, and ambulances were waiting on the tarmac.

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

During the past year, 25 people were hurt when another Delta jet, travelling from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, Netherlands, hit "severe" atmospheric disturbance just two hours into the transoceanic journey, and had to make an emergency landing.

Recently, travelers and staff on a certain international flight endured a harrowing five seconds period of extreme instability. One passenger passed away and numerous people sustained injuries, as those without seatbelts lifted out of their seats and crashed back down.

Turbulence is a common occurrence while flying, and while cases of strong or severe turbulence appear to be increasing, they are still very rare.

Estimates show that there are an estimated five thousand cases of significant in-flight disturbance each year, out of a total of more than 35 million flights that are conducted worldwide.

Intense turbulence is categorized as when the up and down movements of a jet passing through rough air masses apply greater than 1.5g-force on your body - enough to lift you out of your seat if you were not fastened by a restraint.

As global warming alters the conditions in the sky, experts warn that flying could become bumpier: temperature changes and shifting wind patterns in the jet stream level are likely to increase the frequency and intensity of significant turbulence.