Plain English Meaning
A short, powerful blast of air that drops out of a storm cloud, hits the ground, and spreads outward like water from a hose hitting pavement. It is small, brief, and extremely violent.
Full Definition
A small-scale, intense downdraft of air descending from a thunderstorm or rain shower that strikes the ground and spreads outward in all directions, producing strong, rapidly changing winds. Microbursts are typically less than 2.5 miles across at the surface, last only 5 to 15 minutes, and can produce downdrafts exceeding 6,000 feet per minute and horizontal wind differences of 90 knots or more across the affected area.