Skywarn Austria Forum

Microbursts are small, short-lived downdrafts of air. They often occur in severe thunderstorms and cause wind shear. A number of airplane crashes, including several from major airlines, have been traced to the wind shear caused by microbursts. A microburst is caused by a draft of cool air moving downward. When it reaches the ground, frequently at speeds as high as 30 mph, it scatters in all directions. When an aircraft is close to the ground and passes through this, it runs into strong headwinds and then quickly enters a downdraft, followed by strong tailwinds. The pilot has little time to react and prevent an accident.