What is downdraft?

A downdraft is like when wind pushes air down from above, making things feel suddenly cooler and stronger around you.

Imagine you're outside on a hot day, playing with your favorite ball. Suddenly, the air hits you from above, it feels like someone gave the air a big push downward, making the wind blow harder and faster toward the ground. That’s a downdraft!

Think of the sky as a giant balloon full of warm air. When this warm air rises up, it leaves space behind it, like when you take a deep breath and leave room for more air to come in. The cooler air nearby rushes in to fill that space, creating a downdraft.

It’s just like when you're inside a house with a big fan on high. The fan pushes the warm air up, and then the cool air from the floor comes rushing up to meet it, and that rush of air feels like a sudden gust or even a little windstorm!

Downdrafts can make flying planes feel bumpy or help your kite fly higher, all because of that push of air coming down!