microburst

American  

[mahy-kruh-burst] / ˈmaɪ krəˌbɜrst /

noun

Meteorology.

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

---

microburst British  

/ ˈmaɪkrəʊˌbɜːst /

noun

1. another name for downburst

---

microburst Scientific  

/ mī′krō-bûrst′ /

1. A sudden, violent downdraft of air over a small area (less than 16 sq km or 6.24 sq mi) that lasts at least 25 minutes. Microbursts can cause winds with speeds as high as 270 km (167 mi) per hour. They are difficult to detect and predict with standard weather instruments. They are especially hazardous to airplanes during landing or taking off.

---

Etymology

Origin of microburst

First recorded in 1980–85; micro- + burst

Example Sentences

Her cabin was damaged not by the July 14 storm, but by a subsequent microburst 10 days later that ripped through Wonder Valley, an unincorporated community on the outskirts of Twentynine Palms.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 7, 2024

“This was not a microburst — just a broad straight-line wind event that swept over a huge area,” Grigsby said.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 15, 2021

And maybe in some cosmically meaningless way, it was the kind of microburst of entertainment that could make a time of sequestered disconnection a bit more bearable.

From Washington Post • Aug. 4, 2020

The weather service said a microburst of straight-line winds caused most of the damage in a larger area in town north and west of the tornado.

From Washington Times • Jul. 29, 2014

Officials initially had reported that a microburst hit the city but later corrected that to say it was a macroburst, because it was more than 2 1/2-miles long.

From New York Times • Sep. 18, 2010