A
microburst is a small downdraft that moves in a way opposite of a
tornado. Microbursts are extremely hazardous to aircraft. Microbursts are found in strong thunderstorms . Within a
thunderstorm there are two types of microbursts: wet microbursts and dry microbursts. They go through three stages in their life cycle: the downburst, outburst, and cushion stages. The scale and suddenness of a microburst makes it a great danger to aircraft due to the low-level
wind shear caused by its
gust front, with several fatal crashes having been attributed to the phenomenon over the past several decades.