About
A wind storm is any storm that produces winds in excess of 58 miles per hour, excluding tornadoes.
Windstorms can and do occur in all months of the year; however, the most severe windstorms usually occur during severe thunderstorms in the warm months. These include tornadoes and downburst or straight line winds. Winds of greater than 60 mph are also associated with intense winter, spring and fall low pressure systems. These can also inflict damage to buildings and in some cases overturn high profile vehicles.
Downbursts
A downburst is a severe localized downdraft from a thunderstorm or a rain shower. This outflow of cool or colder air can create damaging winds at or near the surface. Winds up to 130 mph have been reported in the strongest thunderstorms. Downburst winds can cause as much damage as a small tornado and are frequently confused with tornadoes because of the extensive damage they cause. As these downburst winds spread out they are often referred to as straight-line winds. They can cause major structural and tree damage over a relatively large area.