Hawaii’s tornadoes
rarely pack a punchSea-fed waterspouts and other
twisters typically dissipate fast
Tornadoes that pose danger to life and property are rare in Hawaii, said Andy Nash, National Weather Service forecaster.
However, should one develop, residents will hear about it over the same warning system used to inform them of approaching hurricanes, said John Cummings, Oahu Civil Defense spokesman.
A National Weather Service storm spotter reported seeing a funnel cloud over Central Oahu Saturday. The twister touched down briefly, making it, by definition, a tornado, Nash said. No alarm was sounded since the tornado posed no threat to life or property. There was no report of damage.
Waterspouts that reach land are also tornadoes. Between 1950 and 1996, the weather service recorded 28 tornadoes in Hawaii, the third fewest among all states during that period, behind Rhode Island and Alaska.
"They don't last long and don't cause real damage," Nash said. He said the reason powerful tornadoes do not develop in Hawaii is because the conditions necessary to produce them -- convergence of different air masses and the jet stream -- are not present here.
With no tradewinds Saturday, moist air heated by the sun developed over Central Oahu and rose into the atmosphere, where it cooled and formed thundershowers, Nash said. Sea breezes coming from different directions then caused little swirls of air, one of which developed into a tornado, he said.