text: Thunderstorms have updrafts and downdrafts.  A downdraft is the area of sinking air.  A downburst a very strong downdraft where strong winds burst down toward the ground and spread out on the ground, producing damaging straight line winds.\nA downburst smaller than 2.5 miles in diameter is called a microbust.  \nDownbursts are either wet (accompanied by precipitation) or dry (no precipitation, or virga).