We still do not fully understand the mechanisms that trigger these violent whirlwinds in a small fraction of rotating storms. The documentation and prediction of high wind events produced by thunderstorms such as downbursts and microbursts has been undertaken. These winds can attain speeds that result in tornado-like damage and have identified as a causal factor in a number of aviation accidents. Convection initiation is a field where investigators endeavor to identify the exact mechanism that triggers the formation of a thunderstorm. Finally, we are examining the finescale structure of fronts within extratropical cyclones.
Fronts are the locations where most of the cyclone's precipitation occurs.