Civil Defence emergency management adviser Sarah Boniface surveys a launch toppled by a mini tornado in Fitzgerald Rd, Pukenui. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Civil Defence emergency management adviser Sarah Boniface surveys a launch toppled by a mini tornado in Fitzgerald Rd, Pukenui. Photo / Michael Cunningham
A small tornado damaged roofs, downed trees, flipped a cabin, toppled a launch and sent a trampoline flying into power lines in the Far North yesterday.
The freak weather struck just before 10am in Pukenui, 50km north of Kaitaia.
Ruve Nattrass, who lives on Lamb Rd, believed her and herhusband's hilltop property was the first to be hit.
''The whole house was shaking, it was vibrating. It was quite frightening,'' she said.
Steve Nattrass checks the damage after the tornado flipped a portacom on to its side. Photo / Ruve Nattrass
Nattrass said a portacom at the top of their drive, which she used for storage and a craft room, was blown on to its side, smashing windows and buckling one wall.
Their caravan was spun 360 degrees and ended up wedged against a pohutukawa, which stopped it tumbling down a bank into a neighbouring property.
One driveway was blocked by downed trees, the other by the cabin.
From there the tornado appeared to have cut across Fitzgerald Rd — where it toppled a large steel launch in a front yard and ripped half the roof off a derelict house — before crossing State Highway 1 and Waterfront Rd.
A large shed on Waterfront Rd, Pukenui, was ripped apart by the tornado. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Pukenui School is between the Nattrasses' property and Fitzgerald Rd but had a lucky escape.
Principal Louise Rogers said the only damage at the school was to four large trees along its eastern boundary which were split — not in half but in eighths — and strewn across the field.
The greatest spectacle was created by a trampoline at a Fitzgerald Rd property.
''A neighbour said it went spiralling about 50m up into the air, like something you see in a movie, then landed on the power lines on the main road.''
Debris on Fitzgerald Rd, Pukenui, after the mini tornado. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Debris from the abandoned house was scattered around Fitzgerald Rd, taking out fences and a truck windscreen.
Children were sent home early when the school's back-up solar power system failed to kick in, she said.
A spokeswoman for Houhora Fire Brigade said the tornado had buckled a large steel shed on Waterfront Rd and torn roofing tiles off the corner of a house on Far North Rd/SH1.
A tarpaulin was tied to the roof to keep the rain out until repairs could be carried out.
It had also pulled flashing off the roof at the Houhora Big Game and Sports Fishing Club, though the damage was not thought to be serious.
Trees shredded by the mini tornado on Waterfront Rd, Pukenui. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Darren Axe was selling coffee from his mobile shop in the fishing club carpark when the tornado hit.
"I've lived here for 30 years and I've never seen anything like it," he said.
It started with torrential rain, and then 20 seconds of extraordinary wind. The tornado missed Axe by metres but even so did a good job of rearranging his chairs, rubbish bin and chilly bin.
The tornado touched down again on Houhora Heads Rd where it downed a number of trees.
There were no reports of injuries.
Civil Defence emergency management adviser Sarah Boniface surveys a launch toppled by a mini tornado in Fitzgerald Rd, Pukenui. Photo / Michael Cunningham
A Top Energy spokeswoman said power was restored to 550 households in the Pukenui area about 11am.
The MetService had earlier warned that wild weather was on its way.
Meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said yesterday's low-pressure system and associated fronts had brought ''very unstable'' air across the country.
Thunderstorms and squalls had been expected with a possibility of small tornadoes.
