Tree crushes students' cars at Massey University, Palmerston North

Two of the cars took the brunt of it. Photo / Supplied

A few university students are short of transport this week after a large poplar tree fell on a group of parked cars in Palmerston North.

About 1.50pm on Sunday strong winds brought down the tree in the parking lot of Massey University's halls of residence, in the Manawatu campus.

Three cars were badly damaged - two written off - and a fourth had minor damage, Massey spokesman James Gardiner said.

Nobody was injured in the incident.

The tree was uprooted in strong winds on Sunday. Photo / Supplied

Massey employee Evan Williams had flown into Palmerston North that afternoon in the wild weather.

"The flight was pretty heavy with how strong the wind was, so I could see why it'd come down," he said.

"I drove in and went past them in the car. I thought 'wow, that's pretty intense'.

"The whole thing was uprooted."

Two cars were written off, one badly damaged, and another had minor damage. Photo / Supplied

Williams said the two worst-hit cars looked "completely written off".

Gardiner said there are many trees on campus, and on Sunday they experienced "some of the highest winds we've had this year".

The university is working to bring down any loose branches up in the remaining trees, to protect students that are still on campus for exams.