downburst
Sudden wind column
A downburst is a powerful downdraft of air from a thunderstorm that hits the ground and spreads outward, producing damaging winds.
Downbursts can flatten trees and crops in patterns that radiate from a central point, sometimes mimicking tornado damage.
Smaller downbursts concentrated in areas less than 2.5 miles across are called microbursts—a particular hazard for aircraft during takeoff and landing.
Localized descending air blast
- downdraftDescending air current
- macroburstLarge-scale descending windstorm
- outflowFluid exiting a system
- thunderstormViolent weather with lightning
convective · cumulonimbus · squall · supercell · mesoscale · radar · Doppler · severe
Brief wind surge
- wind shearRapid atmospheric velocity shift
- turbulenceChaotic flow patterns
- outflow boundaryCold air surge boundary
- headwindWind against travel direction
crosswind · tailwind · velocity · airflow · subsidence · downdraft · anemometer · knots
Rapid atmospheric velocity shift
- go-aroundAbandoned landing attempt
- crashSudden violent impact
- hazardSource of potential harm
- runwayPaved path for planes
approach · landing · takeoff · pilot · aircraft · alert · turbulence · accident
Sudden steep descent
- descendMove to lower position
- collapseSudden structural failure
- rapid descentFast downward movement
- cold airLow-temperature atmosphere
divergence · spreading · impact · momentum
Wind-felled trees
- uprootingExtracting from the earth
- flatteningReducing to evenness
- swathWide strip or area
- destructionAct of completely ruining
debris · structural damage · power outage · fallen trees · crop damage · airplane crash · windthrow · path
microburst
Localized descending air blast
- downdraftDescending air current
- macroburstLarge-scale descending windstorm
- outflowFluid exiting a system
thunderstorm · convective · cumulonimbus · squall · supercell · mesoscale · radar · Doppler · severe · warning
gust
Brief wind surge
- wind shearRapid atmospheric velocity shift
- turbulenceChaotic flow patterns
- outflow boundaryCold air surge boundary
headwind · crosswind · tailwind · velocity · airflow · subsidence · downdraft · anemometer · knots · sustained
wind shear
Rapid atmospheric velocity shift
runway · approach · landing · takeoff · pilot · aircraft · alert · turbulence · accident
plunge
Sudden steep descent
- descendMove to lower position
- collapseSudden structural failure
- rapid descentFast downward movement
cold air · divergence · spreading · impact · momentum
blowdown
Wind-felled trees
- uprootingExtracting from the earth
- flatteningReducing to evenness
- swathWide strip or area
destruction · debris · structural damage · power outage · fallen trees · crop damage · airplane crash · windthrow · path · widespread
- weatherweather, rain, sun, snow, wind
- weather phenomenatornado, wind, hurricane, gust, blizzard
- severe weatherblizzard, hurricane, cyclone, hailstorm, ice storm
- windstormstornado, hurricane, cyclone, typhoon, twister
- wind forceswind pressure, wind load, wind speed, gusts, crosswind
- severe stormstornado, hurricane, thunderstorm, supercell, hailstorm
downburstupdraft
Upward air movement
inflow · tornado · twister · mesocyclone · waterspout