Wet Microburst

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A wet microburst can occur when a thunderstorm collapses on itself. You can think of a thunderstorm as an engine, bringing air up on one side, the updraft, and down on the other, the downdraft.

In order to keep this engine going, the storm has to be tilted. When this storm becomes vertically stacked, you can say the engine self destructs and the result is a strong downward burst of wind. This wind hits the ground and spreads in all directions at speeds that can be greater than 60 miles per hour.

These winds are strong enough to knock over trees, damage houses, and spread debris over several city blocks.

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