Watch: Tornado rips through Taranaki farm

A tornado has ripped through the Taranaki town of Rahotu, tearing up trees, lifting roofs and cutting power to properties.

Rahotu dairy farmer Craig Hammersley spoke to The Country about the devastation caused to his farm by the tornado.

"There's plenty of damage around. The more you drive around the more you see. It's going to take a while to clean up."

Hammersley took videos on his farm showing the aftermath of the tornado which uprooted trees and demolished a hay shed. He is without power but considers himself lucky to have a generator as 12,000 properties in Taranaki are without electricity.

"I was just talking to the Powerco boys then and they said they don't know where to start, that's how bad it is."

Hammersley says plenty of his neighbours have generators and will share power, "it's a pretty good community, they'll help out."

There are reports that the storm will reach its peak at 3pm today and Hammersley says the community has pitched in to help him tidy up his farm, especially making sure loose tin is secured to prevent further damage.

One cow shed has been damaged by the tornado but Hammersley is hoping to get it repaired in time for morning milking.

"It's going to get pretty nasty here again, I'm hearing, so we can handle the wind but hopefully nothing too extreme coming through."

Despite the extreme weather Hammersley reports that his stock is coping well and the calves are "happy as," to be back "in the grass."

Hammersley is currently helping out in Rahotu which is a kilometre away from his farm and says that five or six houses have had the roofs ripped off completely.

"They're the ones suffering the most - all their possessions getting wet."

Listen below: