A tidally locked hot Jupiter

This news dates back to June 10, 2026; the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany published research on an ultra-hot Jupiter—WASP-121b—a planet similar to Jupiter but located very close to its star, making it a "hot Jupiter." The study calculated wind speeds in the terminator zone. This planet is tidally locked, meaning it always presents the same face to its star while the other side remains in perpetual darkness.

The temperature differences are extreme; the study calculated the storms and winds occurring in that terminator zone—the region of eternal sunrise or sunset, the intermediate area between perpetual day and perpetual night. Conditions there would be hellish; aside from being a gas giant, the temperatures are immense. But what happens on an Earth-like planet—with a similar atmosphere of nitrogen and oxygen and similar pressure—located in its star's habitable zone, even if that star is a red dwarf and the planet is tidally locked, with one face always turned toward the star (experiencing perpetual day) and the other always facing away (experiencing perpetual night)?

It would be that "terminator" zone—the area caught in the transition between day and night. Would it be a hellish place with terrible winds or hurricanes? It turns out the answer is no; while that is the case for "hot Jupiters," on a planet with more moderate temperatures and a thinner atmosphere, the winds wouldn't be nearly as intense. Calculations suggest that on an Earth-like planet with similar temperatures, wind speeds would range from 18 to 54 km/h. That’s like a strong breeze or a moderate wind—certainly not hurricane-force.

Atmospheric circulation would efficiently transport heat from the day side to the night side without triggering storms; in other words, there would be a continuous habitable band. It would be like living in a windy region on Earth—in fact, a study I read compared it to living in Patagonia, or the Falkland Islands, which are also quite windy.

If the planet had a temperature somewhat cooler than Earth's average, the winds would also be gentler. The worst places on that world would be the center of the night side and, of course, the center of the day side; however, the intermediate zone would be conducive to the presence of liquid water and the development of life, allowing for seas, rivers, and an environment favorable to life.

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