“During spring, many thunderstorms erupt due to the clash of warm and cold air. Often, a belt of strong winds blows at about 1000-2000 feet above the surface. As you can see in the graphic below, updrafts and downdrafts form as thunderstorms develop. Downdrafts are enhanced by rain-cooled air and if they become strong enough, downdrafts can drag the belt of strong winds above the surface to the surface. This results in bursts of strong, gusty winds which can do major damage. In some cases, intense updrafts prevent the rain-cooled air from forming the downdraft. A large pool of heavy, cooled air forms until it is heavy enough to overcome the intense updraft. Once the pocket of cooled air overcomes the updraft, it races to the surface and slams into the ground, spreading out in all directions. This is known as a downburst. Downbursts can completely destroy buildings with bursts of wind that well exceed hurricane force. Small downbursts are often mistaken for tornadoes because of the severity of the damage.”

http://www.geocities.com/WallStreet/5484/intro.html

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