Plain English Meaning

A microburst is a sudden, powerful column of air that drops out of a storm cloud, hits the ground, and blasts outward like water from a hose hitting pavement. It is small, short-lived, and extremely violent — strong enough to push an airplane down hard and rob it of lift in seconds.

Full Definition

A microburst is a small-scale, intense downdraft of air descending from a thunderstorm or rain shower that, on reaching the ground, spreads outward in all directions. Microbursts typically affect an area less than 2.5 miles across, last about 5 to 15 minutes from initial impact to dissipation, and can produce downdrafts exceeding 6,000 feet per minute and horizontal winds approaching 45 knots, resulting in a 90- ( to change) for an flying through one.