High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Kona storms are a type of seasonal cyclone in the Hawaiian Islands, usually formed in the winter from winds coming from the Westerly "kona" direction. They are mainly cold core cyclones, which places them in the extratropical cyclone rather than the subtropical cyclone category. Hawaii typically experiences two to three annually which can impact the state for a week or more. Among their hazards are heavy rain, hailstorms, flash floods and their associated landslides, high winds which result in large surf and swells, and waterspouts. Kona is a Hawaiian Language term for the Western side of an island. The Kona District for example on the Big Island of Hawaii still uses this name. Although normally dry and leeward, the traditional Easterly tradewinds slacken and reverse during one of these cyclones.