'Mini tornado' hits Auckland CBD, more storms on the way

Monday, 12 August 2019

An apparent tornado moves across Auckland's Waitematā Harbour

A large catamaran was flipped over and a superyacht torn from its moorings as a tornado ripped through Auckland's inner harbour.

Westhaven Marina manager Kevin Lidgard said the marina was hit hard on Monday night.

Have you seen any wild weather? Contact newstips@stuff.co.nz.

He said the tornado came through around 10pm, flipping a catamaran and breaking the lines on a super yacht.

Chairs and broken pot plants lie on the ground at the Neptune restaurant near the Viaduct Harbour.

* North Island hit by thunderstorm, strong winds and heavy rain**

Lidgard said there were also a number of broken lines which were holding boats.

The catamaran flipped into the air and over a pontoon, landing upside down near the marina's fuelling jetty.

The super yacht was 'laid flat' during the storm. It's lines broke and it drifted into the harbour, Lidgard said.

A staff member from Auckland Seaplanes assesses the damage to their pontoon.

There were no reports of injuries, he said, and the team has isolated any potential dangers.

A notice has been sent out to berth holders for them to come and check their boats.

Repairers have also been called in.

Lidgard said the marina held about 2000 boats and the owner of the catamaran was 'gutted'. The power of nature was unbelievable, he said.

Meanwhile more thunderstorms are expected in Auckland after two nights of wild weather.

A shipping container is submerged at a berth at the Viaduct Harbour

Monday night's tornado tore through the inner harbour, leaving debris and damaged boats. One person was left with moderate injuries after a shipping container blew onto a car during a thunderstorm, trapping them.

Emergency services worked to free the person - who was understood to be conscious - from the vehicle at Jellicoe Wharf on Tinley St, a police spokesperson said.

The person was released by Fire and Emergency, receiving moderate injuries in the incident, a police spokeswoman said on Tuesday morning. They were then taken to hospital.

It came as hail and thunderstorms battered the city, with one Stuff reader saying a 'mini tornado' had hit the CBD, knocking over chairs and tables at bars.

Another reader said a waterspout or tornado had 'ripped through the harbour' around 10pm on Monday. Gareth West said it 'sounded like a freight train that lasted for 2 or 3 minutes'.

Emily Cordwell said she filmed the storm for her flat on Nelson Street.

A 'mini tornado' hit the CBD on Monday night, knocking over chairs and tables at bars.

She said it suddenly went dark and it sounded like a freight train coming through.

'There was a massive flash which we caught on camera,' Cordwell said.

After a wild past few days, the weather will settle down from Tuesday.

'Then we saw the tornado heading down the harbour. Then [a] big super yacht which was moored drifted for another 10 minutes until it gained control.'

Ports of Auckland spokesman Matt Ball said on Tuesday morning he was aware of some 'small scale' damage to containers but they were still assessing to what extent.

Ball said there may be some minor delays but the port was operating as normal.

Coastguard duty officer Hemi Manaena said its Mechanics Bay team were alerted to a 'serious weather event' in downtown Auckland, including a large portion of city wharves, Westhaven Marina and the Viaduct Harbour around 10pm.

'Strong localised thunderstorm gusts caused significant damage to moored vessels, upturning and sinking large recreational vessels in and around Westhaven Marina and casting adrift the commercial Great Barrier Island car ferry from Wynyard Terminal. Several large portacom units, shipping containers, cars and pylons were also lost into the harbour,' Manaena said.

'Lion Foundation Rescue and Trillian Rescue Alpha, Coastguard Rescue Vessels from Mechanics Bay were tasked to respond and assist the police with securing vessels and debris adrift, and to undertake welfare checks with impacted vessels to ensure all personnel were accounted for. Luckily, reports so far indicate that no mariners were harmed during this event.'

Large hail fell in Henderson, West Auckland on Monday night.

Manaena said the large amount od debris in and around the inner harbour remains a 'significant hazard' to navigation and will continue until all can be recovered.

Particular areas to remain extra vigilant include off Princes and Hobson wharves, the entrance to the Viaduct Harbour and Westhaven Marina.

On Tuesday, Auckland would see showers, becoming more frequent in the afternoon.

There was a moderate risk of thunderstorms for the evening and there would be southwesterly winds, strong at times, MetService meteorologist Tamara Vuksa said.

Vuksa said there wasn't any other severe weather forecast for Tuesday, but other parts of the North Island could expect some showers and a southerly change overnight was expected for Wellington.

On Monday night, hail stones up to 5cm long were reported.

Boats – including the Sealink Ferry - had also reportedly come off their moorings.

In the South Island, Vuksa said there were warnings for snow on roads at Arthur's Pass, Lewis Pass and Milford Rd.

Motorists were advised to drive safely in the areas.

Earlier on Monday, a tornado downed trees in Taranaki and Bell Block resident Maxine Bamford had her collarbone broken when she was thrown against her house.

Her husband John said she was feeding lambs when the tornado struck.

'She was in shock and she wasn't talking that coherent,' he said. 'I don't know whether she smacked her head when she hit the house.'

On Sunday night, Auckland was pummelled by a storm that ripped the roof off a house and toppled fences.

That storm saw more than 700 lightning strikes recorded in an hour, Niwa said.

Ports of Auckland reported 20 shipping containers were knocked over in 107kmh wind gusts.

'Freak winds' also struck Auckland's event space The Cloud, damaging a panel and breaking a side door.