Tornado fears for south North Island

Members of the public sit in the rain during Heineken Open tennis in Auckland this week. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Wild winds battering central New Zealand could bring small tornadoes this evening, MetService has warned.

A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued from Taranaki to the Kapiti Coast, with the potential for gusts upto 120km/h and downbursts of heavy rain and hail.

And MetService forecaster Daniel Corbett warned funnel clouds, waterspouts and small land-based tornadoes were possible.

"You can't completely rule out a small little tornadic funnel, but it wouldn't be on a large scale, but it's more the straight line damaging wind gusts [which] are quite a potential issue as well," said forecaster Daniel Corbett.

"It's one of those days where we just have to watch for the winds."

The warning caps another day of wretched summer weather.

Severe northerly gales lashed parts of the central North Island and Nelson region overnight, and severe northwesterly gales moved across Wellington, Wairarapa and the Marlborough Sounds this morning.

A handful of Wellington flights were delayed as winds of 100km/h pounded the capital for most of the day.

An airport spokeswoman said flights were delayed by about half an hour this morning.

On the West Coast, winds gusting up to 100km/h felled trees and damaged rooves in Buller and power was cut to about 1000 consumers, mainly north of Westport.

But the weather provided some respite for Southland farmers who have been facing drought conditions this summer.

More than 35mm of rain was recorded on one Southland farm, and David Rose of Federated Farmers was optimistic immediate drought-like pressure in the area might ease.

"This rain will save our winter feed crops that were under severe stress. It will also get others to germinate so we may just be able to salvage something of this season yet.

"While this rain may not have us fully out of the clutches of drought, it is a great start and we'll take it," Mr Rose said.

The winds should start dying down overnight and the forecast for the weekend and next week is better.

"It's going to be blustery over parts of the South Island through Saturday and maybe Sunday but further north, you don't have a bad- looking weekend," Mr Corbett said.

Settled weather would sit over the country early next week, he said.

"I think the sunglasses and picnic baskets might actually get some use maybe early next week."