A small tornado has shattered Karyn Taylor's glasshouse. Photo / Supplied
An Aongatete woman has been left with a shattered glasshouse and a broken kitchen window after a small "tornado" hit her property.
It was just before 11am on Sunday when Karyn Taylor's 16-year-old daughter Gina looked out the window, noticing "leaves swirling above the trees".
"We saw a tornado and just ran into the bedroom and got down on the ground away from the window," Taylor said.
"Everything was just swirling around."
Taylor said it was "really noisy" and the house felt "a bit shaky" as it was on piles, but it was all over in about 10 seconds.
Assessing the damage, Taylor said the kitchen window had been ripped out, the glasshouse had smashed and trees had fallen.
"There is glass all across the property now."
Taylor said she and her daughter were "a bit shaken", but overall thankful to be safe. She warned others to keep safe and avoid windows if they were to find themselves facing a similar situation.
A severe thunderstorm watch was issued for the Bay of Plenty on Sunday, with the possibility of rain, large hail, and strong winds hitting the region.
The watch, which will be in place until 7pm, covers the Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua and Taupō.
MetService said "humid and unstable" conditions brought thunderstorms to many areas of the North Island, producing localised heavy rain and hail.
Thunderstorms were expected to have brought large hail greater than 20mm in diameter, strong winds gusting greater than 110 km/h, and "even the risk of a small tornado".
There was also a large slip on State Highway 29 on McLaren Falls Rd.
In a media statement, the Bay of Plenty Regional Council said trees blocked the southbound lane.
Motorists were told to expect significant delays as roading contractors cleared the scene.
A woman, 25, has been charged with assault.