Multiple Injured as Rough Air Strikes Delta Flight Arriving in Sydney, Australia

Several people sustained injuries when a Delta Airlines aircraft originating in LA to Sydney, Australia was hit by turbulence Friday morning.

Delta Flight 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it touched down at Sydney Airport, a representative for the carrier told. A number of the onboard staff were injured.

Local paramedics stated they evaluated five individuals, and took three to the hospital with relatively minor issues that such as back pain and migraines. Those affected spanned from their 30s up to the 70s.

The event represents the latest incident of planes experiencing severe turbulence, with experts saying that climate change is a key driver.

The aircraft was carrying 245 people and a crew of 15 on the wide-body jet, the representative added, adding that the plane touched down "safely and normally" at the airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on Friday.

Emergency responders reported they got a call just a mere three minutes prior to the plane arrived, and response teams were ready and waiting at the airport.

Why plane turbulence is growing more frequent - and often stronger.

In the previous year, twenty-five passengers and crew were hurt when another Delta jet, flying from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, experienced "significant" rough air just 120 minutes into the transoceanic journey, and diverted for an unscheduled landing.

Earlier this year, travelers and staff on a Singapore Airlines jet went through a terrifying brief five-second bout of severe turbulence. An individual passed away and numerous people sustained injuries, as individuals not fastened in were thrown from their seats and fell back down.

In-flight turbulence is fairly routine during flights, and while occurrences of strong or severe turbulence seem to be rising, they are still very rare.

Data suggests that there are approximately five thousand cases of significant in-flight disturbance each year, out of a total of in excess of 35 million aircraft departures that are conducted worldwide.

Severe turbulence is categorized as when the vertical motions of a aircraft experiencing rough air masses generate more than 1.5 times the force of gravity on your body - enough to lift you out of your seat if you did not have on a safety belt.

As a changing climate modifies the conditions in the sky, experts warn that flying could become bumpier: temperature changes and shifting wind patterns in the higher altitudes are projected to heighten the regularity and severity of severe turbulence.