Vertical draft

A low pressure region will attract air from the surrounding area, which will move towards the center and then rise, creating an updraft.

A high pressure region will attract air from the surrounding area, which will move towards the center and sink, spawning a downdraft.

Updrafts and downdrafts, along with wind shear in general, are a major contributor to airplane crashes during takeoff and landing in a thunderstorm.

The crash of Delta Air Lines Flight 191 on its final approach before landing at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in 1985 was presumably caused by a microburst, and prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to research and deploy new storm detection radar stations at some of the major airports, notably those in the South, Midwest, and Northeast United States where wind shear affects air safety.

The term "downdraft" can also refer to a type of backdraft which occurs through chimneys which have fireplaces on the lowermost levels (such as basements) of multi-level buildings.