Squall

A squall is a sudden, sharp increase in wind speed lasting minutes, as opposed to a wind gust, which lasts for only seconds.[1] They are usually associated with active weather, such as rain showers, thunderstorms, or heavy snow.[2] Squalls refer to the increase of the sustained winds over that time interval, as there may be higher gusts during a squall event.[3] They usually occur in a region of strong sinking air or cooling in the mid-atmosphere. These force strong localized upward motions at the leading edge of the region of cooling, which then enhances local downward motions just in its wake.

A video recorded nearing the end of a squall, caused by a dry microburst (strong downdraft); after this video was shot, it started raining.
  1. ^ "Squall". Glossary. American Meteorological Society. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  2. ^ "Weather Glossary: S." The Weather Channel. Archived from the original on August 1, 2008. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  3. ^ "Weather Words". Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved November 15, 2018.