Storm blasts NZ, tornadoes leave over 1000 Taranaki residents without power overnight, outages in Auckland

April 10, 2018

Tornado ripped roofs off homes and cut power to thousands

1 NEWS NOW carried live updates in the aftermath of the spring storm which has brought cold and snow to the south of the country and tornadoes the north. 

The tornadoes ripped through Taranaki and the Central Plateau, tearing off roofs, felling power lines and trees.  Schools have been closed and flights and Cook Strait ferries cancelled.

More icy conditions and snowfall are possible overnight.

7pm: It was a wild day around the country. 1 NEWS looked at the damage from around the country. 

Tornado ripped roofs off homes and cut power to thousands

6:37pm : South Island drivers are being warned to take extra care on the roads and check for closures with more icy conditions and snowfall possible overnight. Falls in the alpine passes have seen some roads closed or motorists forced to use chains.

The cold snap has brought an unusually early dumping of snow to the south, falling to 300 metres in parts of Canterbury. It was the first time in about a decade snow settled on the ground in Tekapo in April.

6.32pm : Eight hundred homes in the Auckland region are still without power. Vector could not confirm if all outages are due to weather and will not know until after they are restored. 

6.22pm : There's extensive damage to many homes in Taranaki towns. And in National Park there's a clear path of destruction around 500 metres wide. "A tornado in New Zealand let alone in the small village of National Park at our altitude is very unusual," says Margaret Hawthorne  of Civil defence.

National Park village has a large number of holiday homes and authorities will be is contacting owners whose properties are damaged. 

6:13pm : Power is out in much of South Head, Woodhill Forest and Shelley Beach, north of Auckland, with lines down in the area. Vector crews are onsite working to restore electricity.

It's unclear how many homes are without power. Two powerlines have also come down on Waiheke Island and crews are onsite restoring electricity to homes.

6.09pm : Rick Field has told 1 NEWS how he kept driving his truck right through the tornado near Stratford in Taranaki, looking for somewhere safe to stop. 

"I couldn't find anywhere to hide and I was worried about the powerlines because it was coming from that side of the road.  And once the log and branches landed on the road in front of me I thought s*** I have to get away from the trees!"

The powerlines did come down behind him and many more across the region were badly damaged, leaving thousands without power.

5:57pm : NZTA reports there are significant wind gusts on the Auckland Harbour Bridge. Motorcyclists are asked to take extra care.

Northcote Point wharf is closed until further notice due to current weather conditions, cutting ferry services. Buses  are operating between Birkenhead  and Northcote Point from 4.20pm to 6.50pm. And all ferry services to West Harbour have been cancelled, with buses operating instead. 

5.53pm : Power has been restored to most of National Park Village but Ruapehu District Council says some people may be without power overnight.  People who are unable to be in their damaged homes overnight have been accommodated.

5.35pm : More than 1000 coastal Taranaki residents will be without power overnight after widespread damage from a storm that first hit the province about 6.30am today.

The region from Okato to Patea has fared worst with power poles uprooted and lines brought down by falling trees. 

Tornadoes, heavy rain, lightning strikes and strong winds battered the region and much of Powerco's extensive North Island network is bracing for further high winds tonight. 

Powerco says about 3000 were still without power late this afternoon but it hopes to get that down to about 1300 tonight.

The sheep were unfazed as they braved the elements.

About 12,000 customers lost power initially but Powerco was able to reconnect more than 9000 during the day. 

Check out our live updates earlier in the day .

SHARE ME

More Stories