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Dry Microburst

A dry microburst can occur when a thunderstorm forms high up in the atmosphere, but near the ground there is a lot of dry air.  Rain from the thunderstorm evaporates as it falls into this arid air. 

As the rain evaporates, it cools the air around it.  Cooler air is heavy and falls like a rock to the surface.  When this cooled air hits the ground, it spreads out in every direction, much like throwing a rock into a pool of water, the ripples move away in every direction.