Huntly cleans up following mini tornado

1:00 PM

The Waikato town of Huntly is clearing up in the aftermath of a mini tornado.

The brief storm hit the town around 7.30 this morning.

Fences and live power lines were blown down at Huntly Primary School, blocking entry into the school until emergency services cleared the lines.

Huntly Police Sergeant Blair Donaldson says the storm ripped roofs of several buildings including the local rugby league club and a number of houses

More than 1,000 WEL Energy customers lost power as the storm blew down power lines.

Bad weather for the region is also forecast tonight.

Meanwhile, heavy rain around Wellington this morning cut power to some areas of the central city.

A lightning strike also caused problems in Palmerston North, with power shorting out for several minutes.

And a radio station in Taranaki was knocked off the air when lightning hit the transmitter.

- IRN