At least two homes have had their roofs lifted after a tornado tore through parts of Taranaki in the early hours of this morning.
Residents in the area say a tornado hit parts of Awatuna, South Taranaki, shortly after 5.30am.
Photos from a local woman who shared them on Facebook show trees down, a collapsed fence and a house roof torn off.
A central fire communications shift manager told the Herald they received a call about a tornado just before 6am.
Two houses on the same street in Awatuna suffered damage to their properties. The homes, which stand opposite each other, both had their roofs at least partly lifted.
“It’s not what you want when you’re in the house,” the shift manager said.
The homes are located in a rural part of Awatuna and Fire and Emergency NZ services said they did not receive any other reports of damage at other local properties.
A car crash in nearby Ōkato, however, is thought to have happened around the same time the tornado struck, he said.
The vehicle hit a tree, authorities said. Again, no injuries were reported.
The Ōpunake Emergency Management Group issued a number of notices via social media informing locals of closed roads.
“Roads to Stratford from Awatuna Dairy Factory are closed because of tornado. The only road open is Skeet Road,” it said.
“We will update as we find out more. Stay safe and get in touch with us if you or someone you know needs assistance.”
There are no weather warnings over Taranaki at this stage.
Richard Chambers said it was an “absolute honour” to lead police.