What is the difference between a downburst and a microburst?

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asked Jun 19, 2018 in Weather by Wallander (430 points)
What is the difference between a downburst and a microburst?

1 Answer

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answered Jun 19, 2018 by Shelde (49,390 points)
A Microburst is an intense small scale downdraft which is produced from a rain shower or thunderstorm.

A downburst is a strong level wind that comes from a point source above and it blows in straight lines in every direction from the point of contact at ground level.

A downburst is sometimes confused with a tornado although they're entirely different but both can cause a lot of damage.

During a Tornado High Velocity winds circle a central area while during a downburst the wind is directed downward and then again outward from the landing point of the surface.

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