What Is Heat Burst?
A sudden rush of hot, dry, gusty wind at night from a dying thunderstorm. Temperatures can jump 10 to 20 degrees in minutes. In technical terms: A rare surface event in which a downdraft from decaying elevated convection penetrates a stable nocturnal layer and warms by compression at the dry adiabatic rate, producing abrupt temperature rises, sharp dew point drops, pressure fluctuations, and damaging gusts.
Heat Burst In Plain English
A sudden rush of hot, dry, gusty wind at night from a dying thunderstorm. Temperatures can jump 10 to 20 degrees in minutes.
The Technical Definition
A rare surface event in which a downdraft from decaying elevated convection penetrates a stable nocturnal layer and warms by compression at the dry adiabatic rate, producing abrupt temperature rises, sharp dew point drops, pressure fluctuations, and damaging gusts.
