What is a microburst?

Answer 1

Here is the definition from Dictionary.com

an intense, localized downdraft of air that spreads on the ground, causing rapid changes in wind direction and speed; a localized downburst.



From personal experience, I would add that it can accompany or precede a thunderstorm and when it hits it would be a great idea to be somewhere else.

My personal experience came while riding a motorcycle near Peoria, Illiniois.

It got very dark and I was riding at about 80 mph. As I passed a tractor-trailer unit the microburst hit from my right side, with zero warning.

It was like being hammered with wind, but only for a second or so.

In less than one second I was blown right off the road and onto the paved median.


And so was the tractor trailer!

I looked in the mirrors and saw the grille of the truck right behind me and somehow I was calm enough to drive onwards. I don't know who was more frightened...me or the truck driver.

Answer 2

A strong downdraft of Rain. A Macroburst is a strong Downdraft of air (usually produced by outflow boundaries). They can both cause wind damage and microbursts can sometimes produce hail. They both usually lasts less than 10 mins and are pulse in nature (they develop-mature-weaken in a very short amount of time. Most of all, these things are very isolated in nature. Microbursts are most common with Lake Breeze fronts on Warm and Humid summer days. If it gets too hot, the fronts are generally ripped to pieces.

Answer 3

"The term was defined by severe weather expert Tetsuya Theodore Fujita as affecting an area 4 km (2.5 mi) in diameter or less, distinguishing them as a type of downburst and apart from common wind shear which can encompass greater areas. Microbursts are recognized as capable of generating wind speeds higher than 75 m/s (168 mph; 270 km/h)."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microburst

Answer 4

A sudden, violent downdraft of air over a small area.