The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms - whirlwind n.

1) waterspout, dust devil, cyclone, typhoon, anticyclone, hurricane, extra-tropical cyclone, tropical cyclone, Nontechnical tornado, Nautical white squall, Australian willy-willy, Colloq US whirly: A whole row of houses was destroyed in the whirlwind. --adj. 2) speedy, quick, swift, sudden, precipitous, lightning, headlong, hasty, rash, impetuous: It was one of those whirlwind romances that last till the wind dies down.