The sudden, intense downward burst of air from a thunderstorm that spreads out violently upon striking the ground, generated as cooled, precipitation-laden air within the storm becomes dense enough to plunge earthward far faster than an ordinary downdraft. It can produce damaging straight-line winds over a small area within minutes and has been implicated in a number of aircraft accidents during landing and takeoff, particularly before the hazard was well understood by aviation forecasters.
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.