What's in store for the long weekend weather? Metservice's Heather Keats tells you everything you need to know. Video / Herald NOW
A tornado in Hamilton caused significant damage, with roofs ripped off and trampolines airborne.
MetService reported 13,000 lightning strikes and snow in Otago, issuing warnings for several roads.
A cooler long weekend is expected, with showers and breezy southwesterlies in coastal and southern areas.
A young Hamilton family say they felt the “strongest winds ever” as a tornado ripped past their home, sending trees and fences tumbling down, ripping off roofs and causing trampolines to fly through the air.
Ranui St resident Jordan Ridgeway said her young family was “terrified” as the tornadocame through.
“It went from there being literally no wind at all to the strongest wind we have ever felt.”
Ridgeway said there was a “loud bang” and when her husband went out to investigate, he saw the “wind swirling around in circles”.
She said her 3-year-old daughter was “panicking” as their trampoline was flown around, tiles came down off their roof and trees and fences came tumbling down.
“Our neighbour’s tramp is completely gone, we tried looking for it at the other neighbouring properties and we can’t find it, it must have gone really far.”
A tornado struck Hamilton last night, felling fences and sending trampolines airborne. Photo / Jordan Ridgeway.
She said her neighbour’s roof was partially ripped off by the tornado, and it was unfortunate that it was bin day yesterday as now rubbish was left strewn up and down the street.
Down the road, Ranui St resident Keri Newman said she saw her neighbour’s trampoline “swirling above a house” before it crashed down, causing some property damage.
“Our other neighbour that lives behind those houses had roofing that was partially ripped off so the firefighters had to come and secure their roofing and make sure they were safe.”
Parts of Hamilton are picking up the pieces after a tornado ripped through last night. Photo / Maryana Garcia
She said many residents were out in the early hours of this morning sweeping up broken glass from the roads and moving fallen trees, branches and other debris that had been caught up in the destructive winds.
“It knocked over a fence on to a car, picked up debris like tree branches, did some minor property damage, picked up multiple wheelie bins, with all its recycling and glass bottles, and threw them metres down the road.”
A Waimarie St resident pointed out her letterbox to a Herald reporter on the scene this morning, broken and on the ground.
“I heard a funny noise like a whooshing sound,” she said.
“Lights blinked, and then the lights went out.”
Locals say there is a big cleanup ahead for the community today. Photo / Jordan Ridgeway.
Another Waimarie St resident said when she heard a “very loud bang”, she didn’t know what was happening.
“I couldn’t see anything. It was very dark.
“I was just thinking the house was gone. I didn’t know what to think.”
Respite for tornado-stricken areas today, wind and snow in the south
MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said there was no sign of tornadoes today but some wild weather would continue in the bottom of the country.
Makgabutlane said it had been a week of “very active weather” with some crazy statistics coming through.
She said there had been 13,000 lightning strikes in the past 24 hours, although some of these struck over the ocean.
Today, snow is falling in inland areas of Otago, prompting MetService to issue a warning for the Lindis Pass (SH8), Crown Range Rd and Milford Rd (SH94) from this morning until late tonight.
A strong west-to-southwest flow is tipped to strike regions across the South Island and Hawke’s Bay. An orange strong wind warning is in place for Hawke’s Bay, from Napier southwards and the Tararua District from midday and for Hawke’s Bay, from Napier southwards and the Tararua District from this afternoon.
A strong wind watch is also in place for Wairarapa and the Canterbury High Country.
Further north, Makgabutlane said the central areas of the North Island, along with Northland and Auckland, would see some respite today with a few showers possible in western areas.
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Makgabutlane told the Herald that Kiwis should expect a “noticeable cooler feeling” in the air as winter begins this weekend.
She said that would be because of a southwesterly flow over the country.
Makgabutlane said overall, the long weekend was not looking like a washout at this stage, but there would be periods of showers.
She said coastal areas in the western parts of the country, as well as the lower South Island, could have breezy southwesterlies, which might create some large waves.
“That’s maybe a bit of an early heads-up for anybody who is thinking about being near the coast in those areas.”
