The Hawaiian Islands do experience tornadoes, but they are infrequent and typically quite weak due to the state’s unique tropical, marine-influenced climate. Hawaii ranks among the least active states in the United States for tornado touchdowns. While rotating columns of air occur, the severe, destructive tornadoes common in the mainland US are exceptionally rare events here.
Frequency and Recorded Strength
Historical records indicate that the Hawaiian Islands average about one tornado per year. Since 1950, only about 40 confirmed tornadoes have been recorded across the islands, consistently ranking Hawaii as one of the least tornado-prone states in the nation.
Most recorded events are weak, classified as EF0 or EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. No tornado in Hawaii’s history has exceeded F2 intensity. Damage from these weak tornadoes is usually minimal, localized, and often consists of minor structural damage or downed trees.
Atmospheric Factors Limiting Severe Storms
The primary reason for the low frequency and intensity of Hawaiian tornadoes lies in the surrounding Pacific Ocean and the resulting stable atmospheric conditions. Unlike the mainland, Hawaii rarely experiences the collision of vastly different air masses needed to fuel violent supercell thunderstorms. The state’s weather is heavily influenced by the persistent Pacific High, a large, semi-permanent high-pressure system that promotes stable conditions.
The air that reaches the islands is marine air, which has spent thousands of miles over the ocean, moderating its temperature and humidity. This stable marine layer prevents the extreme atmospheric instability—the lift of warm, moist air into the upper atmosphere—that is a prerequisite for powerful tornado formation. Furthermore, the environment around Hawaii lacks the strong vertical wind shear necessary to initiate the deep, sustained rotation of a supercell thunderstorm. The presence of strong, persistent vertical wind shear is often seen near Hawaii, but it typically acts to tear apart and weaken large weather systems like tropical cyclones, not organize them into tornado-producing supercells.
The Prevalence of Waterspouts and Landspouts
When a rotating column of air forms in Hawaii, it most often appears as a waterspout or a landspout. These phenomena account for the majority of the state’s recorded tornado events and differ significantly from the classic, supercell-driven tornadoes of the Great Plains. Waterspouts form over water, while landspouts are non-supercell tornadoes that form over land.
Waterspouts that form in Hawaii are typically of the “fair-weather” variety, forming under developing cumulus clouds and not associated with a powerful, rotating thunderstorm. These funnels form from the ground up, as a rotating column of air at the surface lifts to meet the cloud base. This formation process results in a vortex that is weaker, shorter-lived, and smaller in diameter than a typical tornado. When a waterspout moves onto land, it is classified as a tornado, but it quickly weakens due to the loss of its warm, moist energy source from the water.