Head weather analyst Philip Duncan talks about the damaging squall that hit an Auckland suburb on Tuesday. We look at the upcoming weekend weather which promises more wind, rain, sun and calm - plus we also look at the new windier weather pattern that is moving in until the end of next week and could bring a spell of severe weather to parts of New Zealand.
A violent squall tore through the Auckland suburb of Devonport last night, lifting roofs , flattening trees and frightening residents.
The fierce windstorm lasted only a few minutes but left a trail of damage and briefly knocked out electricity.
No-one was hurt, although a driver had a lucky escape whena tree crashed through the rear window of her car.
The worst damage was around Wairoa Rd and Vauxhall Rd, where debris littered the road and sheets of corrugated iron hung from power lines.
Other parts of Auckland had thunder and heavy rain just before the strong winds, but escaped significant damage.
The city had been earlier warned to expect thunderstorms and tornadoes, but weather experts were reluctant to classify the Devonport event as a tornado.
WeatherWatch head forecaster Philip Duncan, said the weather system that passed through Auckland was unlikely to have had enough energy to cause a tornado.
"It needs a lot of hot air rushing up to do that and Auckland didn't have that.
"I am pretty sure it was just a straight line of wind, a gust of energy that punches out of the cloud."
He described it as a "localised squall of wind". MetService said it would need to investigate the damage to officially determine if it was a tornado.
Duty forecaster Elke Louw said wind squalls of 110km/h were forecast for the region yesterday.
The Fire Service responded to many calls for assistance.
Power was being restored last night.
"Then suddenly it got extremely windy, then a trampoline was picked up and blown across the road. I had to slam on the brakes and it just missed us. It was all over within a couple of seconds ... It was a hazy, very violent shock of air."
At the North Shore Croquet Club on Wairoa Rd, sheds were uprooted and flung onto the pavement and large tree limbs were tossed on to the greens.
Committee member Ruth Castle, who lives on nearby Ascot Ave, wandered around the grounds in shock.
"It just came so suddenly and it's taken everything with it -sheds, trees, everything. There used to be a huge cedar just here ... I really can't believe it."
Image 1 of 31: Damage in Devonport. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Jacob Byron-McKay, 14, was playing football at a nearby park with a friend when he heard the roar of what he thought was an earthquake or a tsunami.
