updraft

[uhp-draft, -drahft]

noun

1. the movement upward of air or other gas.

updraft

1. An upward current of warm, moist air. With enough moisture, the current may visibly condense into a cumulus or cumulonimbus cloud.

2. Compare downdraft

Word History and Origins

Origin of updraft¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; up-, draft

Example Sentences

They're caused by a sudden updraft in humid, moist air, which leads to a heavy and localised burst of rain.

From BBC

The Airbus A321, carrying 222 passengers, reportedly encountered extreme vertical air currents - updrafts followed by downdrafts - that dislodged overhead bins and caused nose damage.

From BBC

However, strong winds lifted him off the ground and grew even stronger, until he encountered the updraft that shot him up into the clouds.

From BBC

It’s also true that the downdraft and updrafts have even inspired suspicions that White House insiders with advance word of the announcements are trading stocks on the knowledge, though no such evidence has emerged.

From Los Angeles Times

As a blaze heats the air above it, it can create updrafts powerful enough to form huge pyrocumulative clouds in the sky above.

From BBC