wrote
Remarkably valuable material is available these days on wikipedia.

But I've got problems with this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microburst
text.

Sailplaners will have a good understanding of natural air flow.
This text seems to suggest that you can take an unenclosed 'parcel'
of air, and move it through the surounding air, like you can throw
a solid object through the air.

I can't find good explanations of why the text is 'wrong'.

Microburst
...
A microburst is a very localized column of sinking air, producing
damaging divergent and [7]straight-line winds at the surface that are
similar to but distinguishable from [8]tornadoes which generally have
convergent damage.

The 'localisation' is the problem.
To move a small volume with respect to its surroundings, you have to
apply energy to this 'localisated package' and not to its surroundings.
I guess lightning/thunder does that ?
Perhaps a laser could too.

Read the explanation of "downdraft" and "gust front", beginning on
page 247 in Pagen's "Understanding the Sky". Note particularly:
"...brings a shift in wind up to 180 degrees ..., an increase in velocity
commonly around 30 mph BUT OCCASIONALLY SEVERAL TIMES
this amount..." (Emphasis mine.)

National Audubon Society's "Field Guide to North American Weather"
also has an excellent explanation on pp 104-5, and an explanation of
plates 202-5 on p.509.

Might be hard to find the field guide in South Africa. ;-

FloydR