Mini tornado strikes Picton

A mini tornado hit Picton yesterday leaving a trail of damage estimated at thousands of dollars.

The freak wind storm smashed the windows of around 20 cars and three trucks parked near the Interislander ferry terminal.

Ferry passenger Angela Rickards said she and other passengers watched "dumbfounded" as the tornado, estimated at four storeys high and six metres wide, swept through the town.

"It just came up from nowhere," she told The Dominion Post.

- NZPA