A possible tornado hit Thames this morning, downing trees and cutting power to hundreds of homes. Video / Jason Shaw
Almost 1800 lightning strikes have been recorded in the North Island today as severe thunderstorms sweep through the motu.
It comes as previous severe thunderstorm warnings and watches over the Bay of Plenty have been lifted.
An orange heavy rain warning remains in place for Bay of Plenty to 11pm tonight, with intensities of 10 to 20mm per hour likely.
In a post to X this afternoon, MetService reported almost 1800 lightning strikes had pounded the North Island by 3.13pm. The majority of those striking the central North Island and offshore the Coromandel Peninsula and Bay of Plenty.
Surface flooding was earlier reported across the Hauraki Plains and western areas of the Coromandel Peninsula after thunderstorms swept through the region this morning.
Flooding was also reported on social media in Pāpāmoa.
MetService said a low-pressure system west of the North Island was expected to move eastwards across New Zealand today, bringing rain to central and northern regions.
The heaviest rain was expected over the Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty, and the Tasman district.
At 9.52am, MetService weather radar detected severe thunderstorms near Tauranga, Te Puke, Mount Maunganui and offshore, and Pāpāmoa.
These severe thunderstorms were moving towards the southeast, and are expected to lie near Te Puke, Pāpāmoa and Paengaroa at 10.22am and near Te Puke, Pukehina, Pongakawa Valley and Paengaroa at 10.52am.
“These thunderstorms are expected to be accompanied by torrential rain and damaging wind gusts,” MetService said.
Flooding was possible, as well as roofing and tree damage and hazardous driving conditions.
A severe thunderstorm watch is also in place for Rotorua and Gisborne.
Niwa recorded more than 600 lightning strikes just offshore from the Coromandel Peninsula and Bay of Plenty between 8.30am and 9.30am.
Thames ‘tornado’ a squall
Thames-Coromandel Council said in an update things had settled down in Thames, but some more rain on the way was indicated by rain radar.
“There have been multiple reports of a tornado in Thames this morning, however, from the effects and the size this was a squall, albeit a strong one.
“If we had experienced a tornado there would have been a path of destruction through town. Two Building Team staff were dispatched to verify that this was the case firsthand.
“Powerco report that a transformer near Hape Rd suffered rapid disassembly. This is being worked on, with 200 plus houses currently without power in the area.”
“There have been reports of blocked drains and surface flooding, which is expected given rainfall intensities of 35mm/hr.”
Concrete benches moved metres, seagulls were tossed in the wind, windows rattled and planks of wood flew into the sky as the squall swept through Thames about 9am.
“My windows rattling like they were at a rave in the 90s,” a Thames resident commented on Facebook.
A fellow resident said she had seen seagulls, pigeons and sparrows “thrown about” in the wind.
“I watched the clouds come towards the ground [and] everything swirling so fast,” another resident reported.
A Hauraki-Coromandel Post reporter at the scene said sirens were sounding in Thames and the fire brigade had already responded to two callouts before 10am.
Thames Volunteer Fire Brigade member Michael McWatt said a roof had been blown off changing rooms in Danby Field.
McWatt said as he was leaving for work the rain was like a “white sheet” and there was zero visibility.
My windows rattling like they were at a rave in the 90s.
Plumber Jono Fry said his power went off at 8am. The downpour was “shocking” and “really heavy”.
“The wind was just out there. I’ve heard the siren go off 1000 times.”
Fry said as far as he knew his family and friends were all right and it was business as usual.
Thames resident and plumber Jono Fry said his power went off at 8am. Photo / Al Williams
A Thames-Coromandel District Council spokeswoman said the tornado had not been confirmed.
“As far as we are able to ascertain, there was high winds, rain and sudden squalls.
“We are warning residents to take great care on the roads and out and about due to the heavy rain warnings and risk of thunderstorms and low risk of a tornado.”
MetService meteorologist Ngaire Wotherspoon said it had not yet confirmed a tornado took place in Thames, but “the ingredients” for such an event were present.
“We are in quite a converter situation right now,” Wotherspoon told the Waikato Herald.
“There’s a lot of uplift in the atmosphere. There are thunderstorm watches out and there’s a significant line of thunderstorms that have gone through Thames, over the Coromandel Peninsula and Whitianga.”
Meanwhile, SunLive reported damages to Kawerau properties including trees down following strong winds.
“It was horrendous,” a Liverpool Rd retail assistant said.
“The rain came in sideways and we had to shut the front door. The back sign of our shop got smashed.
“Our outside area got flooded, it was up to my ankles.”
She said she was running around trying to save products in their outdoor area.
“Three guys came in absolutely drenched. They said they’d been holding on to a gazebo and the wind came and lifted it right off. They were completely soaked.”
A site investigation is under way with field crews attending.
Power is expected to be back in the town by noon.
In Te Puke, hundreds of customers lost power this morning and field crews are investigating the cause.
Powerco said 695 customers lost power about 8.45am with power restored to 464 customers just after 9am.
“Power is currently estimated to be restored to the remaining 231 customers by 1pm,” a spokeswoman said.
Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based multimedia reporter covering breaking news in Waikato. She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times.
Al Williams is the editor of the Hauraki-Coromandel Post, based in Whangamata. He has worked in daily and community titles in New Zealand and overseas, most recently as deputy editor of Cook Islands News.
