Most of the debris has been cleared and repairs have begun, but residents of a tornado-ravaged Auckland street have long gone.

Samoans are breathing a "heavy sigh of relief" this morning after a tropical cyclone passed dangerously close to the capital.

Thunderstorms are being forecast for the lower North Island, with the possibility of hail greater than 20mm in diameter and wind gusts of 110kmh.

While fires burn across southeastern Australia and the northwest braces for Tropical Cyclone Narelle, Australia's volatile weather has produced a spectacular red dust storm.

A small tornado has hit the Mayfield Golf Course near Ashburton, accomplishing four seasons' worth of pruning in four minutes.

New Zealand has sent desperately needed supplies to cyclone-ravaged Samoa and Fiji as thousands remain in evacuation centres and vital services are cut off.

Fijians has began cleaning up after the effects of Cyclone Evan, which left a swathe of destruction after battering the Pacific nation for more than 12 hours.

A state of natural disaster has been declared for 15 days in Fiji as the Pacific nation begins the clean-up in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Evan

Further New Zealand support for cyclone-battered Samoa and Fiji has been announced, bringing the combined total to $820,000 so far.

Samoans in New Zealand are still anxiously waiting to hear how their loved ones fared after Cyclone Evan hit.

Two ships were grounded and houses thrown through the air as winds of up to 270km/h uprooted trees and homes force hit Fiji during Tropical Cyclone Evan.

Fiji residents are bracing themselves as Cyclone Evan makes its presence felt. Thousands of people have taken shelter in the region as Tropical Cyclone Evan batters the area with winds of up to 185km/h. Up to 400 New Zealanders also hunkered down in evacuation centres, with Cyclone Evan increasing from category 3 to 4 as it made its way towards Fiji.

The category three tropical cyclone currently lashing Samoa could develop into a category five monster by the time it reaches Fiji.

The police cordon has been lifting allowing residents back into the worst-damaged neighbourhoods in Hobsonville after yesterday's deadly storms.

Some West Aucklanders affected by yesterday's tornado feel they were not prepared enough to deal with the emergency. Three people were killed and seven were injured when the storm - including tornadoes - hit Auckland yesterday afternoon. About 250 people were left homeless and thousands of homes were without power after the storm, which is estimated to have caused $11 million worth of damage.

Some West Aucklanders affected by yesterday's tornado feel they were not prepared enough to deal with the emergency.

The recovery is underway after a series of deadly tornadoes ripped through Hobsonville, leaving a trail of destruction. Three people died in the storm, which also damaged about 150 houses, nzherald.co.nz went amongst the clean up to hear the stories of survival.

The recovery is underway after a series of deadly tornadoes ripped through Hobsonville, leaving a trail of destruction. Check here for the latest info.

A violent tornado which hit Hamurana near Rotorua threw people and animals in the air, uplifted trees and damaged properties.

We are on the ground in west Auckland talking to residents affected by the destruction.

A pet rescue operation was under way last night to find animals left behind when people fled the tornado.