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Rare ‘volnado’ phenomenon swirls during dramatic Kilauea eruption in Hawaii
Hawaii's Kilauea volcano’s latest eruption has produced a swirling cloud dubbed a “volnado”.
Footage captured by the US Geological Survey (USGS) on Tuesday (2 September) shows the tornado spinning in front of a bright orange wall of magma fountains that spouted hundreds of feet into the air.
The rare weather phenomenon occurs when extreme volcanic heat mixes with cooler air, resulting in a swirling mix of dust, pumice and ash.
"We know you’ve heard of a volcano, but how about a volnado?”, the USGS joked in a post on X.
Kilauea has been erupting lava from its summit crater about once every week since last December, drawing in tourists keen to glimpse the spectacle.
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