A waterspout was seen off the coast of Taranaki earlier today, with curious locals snapping several photos.
Taranaki man Chris Welson said he was at a friend's home in Moturoa overlooking Paratutu Rock when he spotted the waterspout out of the kitchen window.

MetService meteorologist April Clark said waterspouts were tricky to track, and were often small-scale weather features associated with isolated thunderstorms.
She said high helicity this morning helped form the waterspout near New Plymouth as a weather system passed along the west of New Zealand.