A tornado was spotted over the Waikato this afternoon. Photo / Twitter
Eyewitnesses have described seeing a tornado over Te Awamutu, Waikato, this afternoon.
Kihikihi dairy farmer Lisa Jones was outside when she heard what she thought was thunder rumbling, but turned and saw the tornado starting to form.
"I lived in America so I know what it sounds like when a tornado is forming, but I was in a bit of disbelief," Jones said.
She watched the tornado as it started as a tiny funnel then grew into a full-sized twister, almost touching the ground behind her farm.
MetService meteorologist Angus Hines said there were thunderstorms forecast for the area, so although not predicted, it was possible for there to be tornadoes forming.
"Tornadoes in New Zealand are usually not big enough to appear on radars so are hard to forecast," Hines said.
"This looks to be a funnel cloud, which is kind of like a miniature tornado that moves downwards from the base of the cloud but doesn't actually reach the surface to cause much damage."
Gisborne councillors urge caution on zoning to ensure fair treatment across areas.