Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano swirls into fiery tornado-like ‘Tephra Devil’ in wild scene
A unique phenomenon called a 'Tephra Devil' was observed swirling over Hawaii's Kilauea volcano during its recent eruption. This event is characterized by columns of twisting air created by rising heat from lava and tephra. Scientists anticipate further eruptions in the coming days as magma chambers continue to refill.
- ▪The Tephra Devil was seen during Kilauea's 47th eruptive episode last week.
- ▪Lava fountains reached heights of up to 650 feet during this eruption.
- ▪The next eruption is expected between May 22 and May 26, 2026.
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US News Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano swirls into fiery tornado-like ‘Tephra Devil’ in wild scene By Julian Atienza, FOX Weather Published May 20, 2026, 6:24 p.m. ET See more of our coverage in your search results. Add The New York Post on Google Originally Published by: What is an Omega block? What is an ash devil? What is a supercell thunderstorm? A unique phenomenon known as a “Tephra Devil” was captured swirling over a crater on Hawaii’s Kilauea during the volcano’s 47th eruptive episode last week. Tephra is a catch-all term that describes various kinds of rocks blasted into the air during eruptions. The swirl seen in this video is similar to a dust devil — where the ground warms a thin layer of air directly above it that rises.
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