MARY GOODRICH photo

A dust devil appeared on Maui Veterans Highway headed for Wailuku at about noon Oct.16. Dust devils, also called sand devils, are small, brief whirlwinds that usually happen in the afternoon when a land surface heats up faster than surrounding areas on a hot, calm, dry day, meteorologists say. The small, rotating column of air is visible when it picks up dust, leaves or other loose matter. Dust devils are different from tornadoes, in that, the latter descends from a cloud. Dust devils, which range in width from 10 feet to 100 feet, according to the American Meteorological Society, don’t usually get as large or as destructive as tornadoes. However, dust devils have been known to cause damage, the group said.