World and Nation

Macroburst causes wind damage

This past Sunday, a severe thunderstorm blew through the Boston area, leaving scattered branches and toppled trees in its wake. The National Weather Service has confirmed that the wind damage associated with this storm was caused by a macroburst, or a large downdraft of air usually generated by a thunderstorm, which can cause very strong, sustained winds over an area several miles wide. While quite different from tornadoes, macrobursts can cause similar damage in some cases. During the macroburst this past weekend, the Green Building recorded a wind gust of 56 mph.

This weekend will feature less exciting, but more pleasant weather, as sunshine returns with temperatures near 70 degrees. However, the threat of severe weather will start to creep back into the picture toward the end of the weekend and the beginning of next week.