Tornado damage to a property in Karaka 12 April 2023 picture supplied credit: Neil O'Connor
A resident in rural South Auckland says a tornado last night tore the roof off his barbecue shelter and toppled trees.
If the tornado is confirmed, it would be the fifth to strike the country in four days.
Neil O’Connor told the Herald that his Karaka home started shaking last night as wild weather ripped through his backyard, sending the roof of his new barbecue area flying across his yard.
He said it struck at 6.42pm and lasted only seconds.
“We’re in the country and it was dark, it was literally just a noise and then destruction and then immediately after it’s just an amazing calm, you just go out and it’s like, what just happened?
“It’s quite spooky.”
O’Connor said the barbecue shelter roof took out a few trees as it was catapulted through the air.
He said today would be a busy day as they cleaned up the property.
MetService meteorologist Andrew James couldn’t confirm if a tornado had hit Karaka without seeing video footage, but said it was “certainly possible”.
Thunderstorms are at the door of the entire country again today, including the Chatham Islands, and there is a risk of more tornadoes.
“It’s not often we see thunderstorms at the door of the North, South and Chatham Island all at once,” MetService reported.
This morning the thunderstorm danger is expected to increase for Northland, Auckland and Waikato, with rain intensities of 10 to 25mm/h, MetService forecasts.
Most of the North Island and the northwest of the South Island are at lower risk levels.
Throughout the second half of today, the weather continues to be unstable across New Zealand.
Thunderstorms with locally heavy rain of 10 to 25mm/h are possible from Northland to Taranaki, including Auckland, and the Bay of Plenty.
“These thunderstorms are expected to be accompanied by very heavy rain, damaging wind gusts, possible tornadoes and frequent lightning,” MetService reports.
Yesterday, tornadoes struck the Kāpiti Coast and Waitara in Taranaki, while another hit Auckland on Sunday and the Tasman region on Monday afternoon.
The twister on the Kāpiti Coast hit Paraparaumu about 5.30am.
A 16-year-old boy was injured after the tornado ripped through and destroyed the cabin he was sleeping in.
Up to 20 properties were reportedly damaged with roofs blown off or lifted, while a house in Paraparaumu was lifted off its piles.
Cormac Bryce, 21, was at the homewith his sister - who was sick with a stomach bug - and mum Moira, who was working, when he heard what he thought was an earthquake.
“I was still lying in bed, sort of half awake and then I’ve just heard this... sort of rumbling and then the power went off.
“But then it just got louder and louder and then it was like an explosion of rushing of wind and then the house was shaking and, windows were rattling and then then I heard shattering glass and banging and crashing.”
He got up and found ”glass everywhere”.
”A piece of roofing iron had come through the windows and it turns out it fell from the neighbour’s house, their entire roof is gone and, it’s strewn all over other people’s properties.”
The Department of Conservation says ranger visibility deters offending.