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.

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microburst British  

/ ˈmaɪkrəʊˌbɜːst /

noun

1. another name for downburst

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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.

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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

Bunderson’s company’s ground sensors have also measured “megaevents” of more than 15,000 pollen grains per cubic meter within one hour, which he said typically occur as a microburst on the front end of a storm.

From Washington Post • Mar. 16, 2023

“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

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

From Washington Times • Apr. 15, 2021

In 2010, after a microburst felled power lines in Middle Village, Queens, knocking out electricity to homes, he and Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley demanded that Consolidated Edison bury its lines.

From New York Times • Jun. 13, 2013