TEMPE, Ariz. — A supercell thunderstorm produced a microburst over Tempe around 1 p.m. Monday.

The National Weather Service confirmed that a microburst hit Tempe on Monday, causing significant damage in the area. 12News journalists documented roofs ripped from buildings, trees down and collapsed onto apartments, and damage throughout the Valley.

But what is a microburst?

A microburst happens when there is a rapid descent of cold and dense air at the core of the thunderstorm. This happens if the thunderstorm draws in dry air from the outside.

Evaporational cooling will generate that pocket of cold, dense air, and once it gets heavy enough that the updraft can no longer suspend it, the cold core of the storm will come crashing down to the ground.

Microbursts can generate damaging wind

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