Microburst

A column of sinking air that can slam into the ground at 270 km/h/Weather & Climate

A microburst is a localized column of sinking air within a thunderstorm that produces damaging divergent winds at or near the surface. When the downdraft hits the ground, it spreads out in all directions, creating wind speeds that can exceed 270 km/h, comparable to an EF4 tornado. Microbursts affect an area less than 4 km across and last only 5 to 15 minutes, making them extremely difficult to predict. They are classified as wet (with heavy rain) or dry (with little or no precipitation reaching the ground). Microbursts have caused several major aviation disasters, leading to the development of wind shear detection systems at airports worldwide.