waterspout
Mahalo to Victoria Naboa for sharing this video of a waterspout that formed Thursday afternoon off Paukaa along Hawaii island's east shore.

A waterspout is a tornado that forms over water due to the instability created by the presence of a thunderstorm.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: "A tornado is a narrow, violently rotating column of air that extends from the base of a thunderstorm to the ground. Because wind is invisible, it is hard to see a tornado unless it forms a condensation funnel made up of water droplets, dust and debris."


Tornadic waterspouts "are associated with severe thunderstorms, and are often accompanied by high winds and seas, large hail, and frequent dangerous lightning."

Waterspouts are a danger to boaters and swimmers due to the swirling winds at the surface of the water.

Forecasters had said Hurricane Lane had the potential to bring a few tornadoes to the islands.