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Weather Works: What is a microburst?

Meteorologist Taylor Stephenson explains how you can stay safe during this weather phenomenon.

MACON, Ga. — Thunderstorms are a common occurrence in Central Georgia, especially in the summertime, but have you ever heard of or seen a thunderstorm producing a microburst?

Some people confuse microbursts with tornadoes but they are very different.

A microburst is a surge of sinking air, or what we call a downdraft, rushing from a thunderstorm. 

When the air hits the ground, it rapidly spreads over the area.

Because of how fast the air is pouring from a storm, it can cause significant damage. Wind speeds can be upwards of 100 miles per hour  —  that's the same as an EF-1 tornado. 

There are three different types of microbursts — wet, dry and hybrid.

A wet microburst forms when there is a lot of precipitation within a thunderstorm. The rain becomes too heavy for the storm to hold and water rushes out with the downdraft.

With dry microbursts, the thunderstorm itself can be dry or have very little rain. The downdraft would be all wind.

And, as you probably guessed, hybrid microbursts are a mixture of the two.

For this reason, and more, during any thunderstorm, especially a severe thunderstorm, find your way indoors.

And that's how your weather works!

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