Vessels conducting the hunt for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have searched over 3,000km2 of the ocean bed since bathymetric survey mapping of the region was completed.
Initial surveying work ended on 26 October with some 160,000km2 of the floor mapped to assist the detailed search.
Three specialist vessels are spearheading the search for wreckage from the Boeing 777-200ER which disappeared en route to Beijing on 8 March.
But the Joint Agency Co-ordination Centre, which is overseeing the effort, says the hunt is being affected by “considerable variance” in meteorological and oceanic conditions.
“Poor weather conditions, including gale-force winds, in some parts of the search area are likely to affect operations over the coming week,” it adds. “Weather conditions are, however, expected to improve over the summer months.”
Summer in the southern hemisphere begins in December.
Although investigators are working to refine the modelling of MH370’s flightpath and its final impact location, the inquiry says there were “no significant changes” to the data during October.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
