Answer :
Final answer:
Maximum downdrafts in a microburst may be as strong as 3000 feet per minute. This is due to the evaporating moisture in downdrafts, which causes the air to cool, become denser, and fall faster, potentially reaching speeds of about 100 miles per hour upon reaching the ground.
Explanation:
The question you've asked relates to microbursts, a type of intense downdraft produced during severe thunderstorms. Maximum downdrafts in a microburst may be as strong as 3000 feet per minute.
This weather phenomenon occurs when the moisture in downdrafts evaporates into drier air below the cloud leading to cooling via latent heat. As the air cools, it becomes denser and falls faster, potentially reaching speeds of approximately 100 miles per hour when it hits the ground and spreads out.
Microbursts present significant hazards, especially to aviation, as they can produce sudden changes in wind speed and direction, which can be particularly dangerous for aircraft during takeoff or landing when they are close to the ground and lack altitude needed to recover from such unexpected changes.