Active weather system brings thunderstorms, powerful winds, hail to upper North Island

A tornado struck Hamilton last night as an active weather system brought thunderstorms, powerful winds and marble-sized hail to the upper North Island.

WERE YOU AFFECTED? EMAIL US

In a Facebook post last night, Hamilton mayor Paula Southgate urged Nawton residents to take care after a tornado hit the suburb.

“Emergency services [are helping] with the clean up and repair damaged property and trees,” she said.

Civil Defence Waikato confirmed reports of tornado damage to trees and property in the Nawton area and warned weather across the Waikato Region remains “highly dynamic”.

One witness filmed emergency services responding to the aftermath and said there had been “all sorts of destruction”.

STORY CONTINUES AFTER LIVE BLOG

• The upper North Island faces severe thunderstorms, 110km/h winds, and marble-sized hail today.
• MetService warns of lifted roofs, flying debris, and possible tornadoes in affected areas.
• A tornado has struck in Hamilton; emergency services are on scene.

Sort by:

Latest

Oldest

Pinned

29 May, 11:01 am

Power outages

According to WEL Networks, about 100 properties have lost power in Nawton.

Pinned

29 May, 11:00 am

Wind upturns bbq at Hamilton house

The winds have caused havoc tonight around Hamilton, downing fences, lifting roofs and sending a trampoline flying into power lines. 

One man sent this image, saying, "Flipped the bbq over on our deck."

Pinned

29 May, 10:56 am

Pinned

29 May, 10:55 am

'I thought the walls were going to cave in'

Dinsdale residents have been sharing their accounts online after a tornado swept through the Hamilton suburb tonight.

One woman said she and her son felt their house shake.

"It did feel like one swept along the side of the house, for a moment, I thought the walls were going to cave in."

Pinned

29 May, 10:52 am

Power out after fierce storm

Residents in Hamilton say they have lost electricity. One person in Livingston Ave says, "Power's been out for 3 hours, grrr".

Pinned

29 May, 10:50 am

'One hell of a mighty noise': Residents describe tornado

Responding to the mayor's post on social media tonight, a Hamilton resident said the tornado came down Ranui St, and nearby streets.

"Fences down, some roofing iron lifted, trampolines flying. It was one hell of a mighty noise."

Pinned

29 May, 10:45 am

House loses roof in wild winds

A Dinsdale, Hamilton resident says a property's roof has been blown off, along with "flying tramps, fallen fences". 

Another person wrote: "Thought my roof 'n chimney was about to fly off."

Pinned

29 May, 10:40 am

Power lines down after tornado

A Fire and Emergency spokesperson confirmed power lines were down in the area.

Pinned

29 May, 10:31 am

Waikato weather 'highly dynamic'

Civil Defence Waikato warns the weather across the Waikato Region remains “highly dynamic”.

It confirmed reports of tornado damage to trees and property in the Nawton area.

“Emergency services, council staff and first responders are on location and actively dealing with the situation,” it posted to Facebook.

Pinned

29 May, 10:12 am

A trampoline was thrown into power lines in Hamilton

Load more

STORY CONTINUES

“Very strong wind gusts can break branches from trees, damage roofing, and make driving hazardous especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles,” MetService warned.

“Tornadoes can blow out windows, lift roofs, break large branches off trees, generate dangerous flying debris and blow vehicles off the road.”

The severe thunderstorm warning was lifted for the Auckland radar area at 8.55pm.

NEMA warns public to take shelter as storms approach

The National Emergency Management Agency advises that as storms approach you should:

• Take shelter, preferably indoors away from windows
• Avoid sheltering under trees, if outside
• Get back to land, if outdoors on the water
• Move cars under cover or away from trees
• Secure any loose objects around your property
• Check that drains and gutters are clear
• Be ready to slow down or stop, if driving.

During and after the storm, you should also:

• Beware of fallen trees and power lines
• Avoid streams and drains as you may be swept away in flash flooding.

‘Active’ weather system looming off coast

Earlier, the NZ Transport Agency urged drivers to prepare for short-notice lane closures or reduced speeds on the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

From 8pm to midnight tonight, an amber alert will remain in place with forecast wind gusts of 75-85km/h, NZTA said.

MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said a large “active” weather system looming off the coast and barrelling towards the country was due to hit at about 4pm yesterday.

⚡️Thunderstorms are knocking at the door, and may come through with very gusty winds, pockets of heavier rain, as well as hail💨🌧️🧊

Keep a close eye on the radar this afternoon and evening, especially in places like Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, and Taranaki pic.twitter.com/jcu3CULE6k

— MetService (@MetService) May 29, 2025

“We’re seeing kind of that band of thunderstorms and showers moving on to the country this afternoon and evening.

“With those thunderstorms, we could see very strong winds, and that’ll probably be one of the main things to look out for [yesterday].

“And as always, thunderstorms do bring the risk of pockets of isolated, very heavy rain, so that’ll be something else to keep an eye on as well as that possibility of hail.”

Waves of squally showers & thunderstorms will spiral through the upper half of the North Island today.

Some thunderstorms will have hail, gusty wind, and strong wind gusts.

Best to stay connected with @MetService for any watches & warnings that may be issued. pic.twitter.com/27VdmEbdAn

— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) May 28, 2025

She said the thunderstorms will be embedded with destructive gusts of up to 110km/h in some areas and hail the size of marbles, ranging from 5-15mm.

“In addition, there is also a low risk of a small tornado, which could occur with or without a thunderstorm,” MetService reported on its website.

There is a higher risk in Auckland, Northland, northern Waikato and Coromandel Peninsula that the thunderstorms would be “severe”.

“I’d say for places for people who are in those areas, but even for people who are outside of those areas in the North Island, definitely a good day to keep a close eye on the radar and kind of track where those rain bands are and kind of see how that fits in with your plans for [yesterday],” Makgabutlane said.

SH25 has reopened after a slip closed the Thames-Coast Rd between Ruamahunga and Tapu yesterday morning.

NZTA said loose rocks and debris on the slip face meant it wasn’t safer to open a lane any earlier.

“Road users are advised to take care and drive to the conditions with more rain forecast this afternoon and into the evening,” NZTA said.

SH25 has reopened after a slip closed the Thames-Coast Rd between Ruamahunga and Tapu yesterday morning. Photo / NZTA

What’s in store for King’s Birthday weekend?

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.”