kids encyclopedia robot

Microburst facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

A microburst is a downdraft that moves in a way opposite to a tornado. It is found in thunder storms. And it can be dangerous to an aircraft.

Images for kids

  • Microburstnasa

    Illustration of a microburst. The air moves in a downward motion until it hits ground level. It then spreads outward in all directions. The wind regime in a microburst is opposite to that of a tornado.

  • ARMOR Downburst

    Downburst seen from the ARMOR Doppler Weather Radar in Huntsville, Alabama in 2012. Note the winds in green going towards the radar, and the winds in red going away from the radar.

  • Drymicroburst

    Dry microburst schematic

  • Microburst - NOAA

    A series of photographs of the surface curl soon after a microburst impacted the surface

  • Downburst wind damage vaughan CN rail yard east side near Keele street 23 04 07

    Strong microburst winds flip a several-ton shipping container up the side of a hill, Vaughan, Ontario, Canada

  • Downburst damage

    Downburst damages in a straight line. (Source NOAA)

  • Outburststage

    During the outburst stage, the wind "curls" as the cold air of the downburst moves away from the point of impact with the ground.

  • Cushionstage

    During the cushion stage, winds about the curl continue to accelerate, while the winds at the surface slow due to friction.

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Microburst Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.