Downdraft

There was a terrible accident at the New Zefport Science Academy today. Don’t worry, it didn’t happen on earth, some other place. They were experimenting with a new form of energy production involving the removal and use of heat energy. The experiment was actually a terrific success, it just had some unexpected consequences. Thousands of tons of oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen upon having 99.999999999% of the heat removed from their molecular structures entered a super-fluid state. The condensates ignored gravity and rose rapidly into the atmosphere,  even up into outer space for a time. Upon reversion back into gaseous form, the cold dense gasses came crashing back down through the atmosphere creating a series of very serious downdrafts. The winds near the epicenters exceeded the speed of sound by hundreds of miles per hour.

The destruction caused by the heavy winds was horrific, particularly in cities caught within close proximity to the air-bursts. There were however a few small groups of thrill seekers who managed to catch the ride of their lives. A hand full of surfers caught and survived a wave that crossed over an entire continent over the course of a few hours. Another group of hang gliders became the first on the planet to break the speed of sound while almost completely exposed to the elements. A few motorcyclists found themselves significantly air-born, several yards above ground, for durations of minutes at a time.