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Tornadoes have wreaked havoc today, with a twister tearing through New Plymouth early this afternoon and two people taken to Middlemore Hospital with injuries following a smaller tornado that ripped through southeast Auckland just before 4pm.
The Fire Service has had eight call outs to the Botany Downs and Golflands areas since the strong gusts in Auckland.
Shift Supervisor Scott Osmond said Montecito Pl was the worst affected street, with nine homes reporting roof damage.
In New Plymouth, Taranaki Racing Club staff were seconds away from being caught by flying glass after the tornado swept over the local racecourse this afternoon.
The club's chief executive Carey Hobbs said some staff were about to leave the lunchroom to go outside when the tornado hit.
"We were probably 10-15 seconds away from a disaster," Hobbs told NZPA.
"There's been an enormous amount of flying glass and we are very lucky no one has been hurt."
Hobbs said a sign of one the club's major sponsors was blown a distance of 800m but the stables of top trainer Allan Sharrock at the Pukekura Park course escaped the tornado's path.
Ironically the club is down to race tomorrow but not at Pukekura Park. It is instead racing at the Hawera racetrack, more than 70km away.
Hobbs estimated damage to the course would cost in the vicinity of $30,000-50,000 but it would be covered by insurance.
He said the main racing track, known as the course proper, would be closed to training in the meantime while glass is wept up.
The tornado tore through three kilometres of New Plymouth's CBD, tearing off roofs and scattering debris in its wake, this afternoon.
Eye witnesses said the tornado came in from the sea and announced its presence with a loud rumbling noise.
Extensive damage
One of the first casualties of the twister was the PlaceMakers store in New Plymouth's CBD.
Witnesses described how it was ripped off and dumped on top of some nearby parked cars.
"It sounded like an aircraft engine," said Rebecca Buis.
"There were big planks of wood - hunks of four-by-two hovering there for a while."
Another woman said she received a worried call from her partner who worked at PlaceMakers telling her of the tornado.
She immediately went to see him to check on him and was forced to go to a back entrance.
She then discovered emergency services had cordoned off the streets and she saw their Toyota Corolla under the debris.
"I was just going to check and make sure he was okay. He was very shaken. That's when I saw the car," she said.
"It made a big mess. Our car is underneath one of the roofs. All the roofing landed on top of, probably about 12 vehicles. I'm in shock, I'm shaking like anything."
Big clean-up job
Pukekura Park Racing Club president Wayne Darling said the tornado had caused significant damage to facilities at the track.
"It's taken the outside rail out at the 2000m mark - but that's only minor," he said.
"It's also got the La Mer grandstand and has taken 14 (glass) panels out of that and twisted all the guttering. There will be a massive cleanup here," he said.
Two shopkeepers on the main street spoken to by the Herald said police and other emergency services had concentrated on the worst-affected areas of Molesworth St and Gover St.
Some shoppers were forced to stay indoors, roads in the CBD were closed off causing traffic jams and emergency staff warned people to take shelter.
Senior Sergeant Robbie O'Keefe said the tornado had left a trail of destruction but there was no indication anyone had been injured.
"We've also got broken windows, trees uprooted and signs out," Mr O'Keefe said.
The Fire Service was doing all it could to help with the cleanup, all available police were on the streets diverting traffic around affected areas and ambulance staff were put on standby.
Further weather warnings
Fire-fighters believe the tornado may have travelled an almost 360 degree course as a large sign torn from one building travelled in a curve to end up flung through the window of another building.
The Radio Network's head weather analyst Philip Duncan said a huge band of thunderstorms was spreading into western areas.
"We are warning rain falls could be heavy enough to cause surface flooding during these embedded storms. Winds may easily reach gale force within seconds."
Mr Duncan warned regions south of Auckland and north of Taranaki were most at risk.
"There is the potential for more mini twisters to form in those regions between now and dusk. Auckland and Waikato are most at risk as the rain band moves in."
- NZPA, NEWSTALK ZB, NZ HERALD STAFF
