Weather: Strong winds could cause damage after roof blown off in Far North

Thursday, 20 August 2020

Thunderstorms are possible for parts of New Zealand, including Auckland, on Thursday.

Strong wind gusts in Auckland could cause damage overnight, forecasters say.

By 6pm, wind gusts of 75kmph could be felt on Auckland’s Harbour Bridge, MetService forecaster Cameron Coutts said.

“The wind in Auckland has become strong in the last hour, and it's expected to stay like that overnight.”

Strong winds were categorised as anything over 40 or 50kmph, Coutts said.

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There was the potential for damaging gusts up to 110kmph overnight, Coutts said, which could see power lines or trees felled.

Earlier on Thursday a mini tornado blew the roof off a home in the Far North.

It came as thunderstorms, possibly bringing small tornados, were expected to hit parts of the country.

Fire and Emergency NZ said fire crews were called to a property in the Far North’s Pukenui where a roof had lifted off a property around 10.30am on Thursday.

The wild weather in Auckland removed sand from rocks at Stanmore Bay.

Shift manager Paul Radden said it was caused by a “mini tornado” in the area.

No other weather-related incidents had been reported, he said.

A tornado also hit Ahipara, 50km southwest of Pukenui this morning.

Residents had to run for cover as iron and fencing went flying, although no injuries were reported.

The mini twister toppled fencing and knocked over pot plants in the seaside community.

Pukenui locals Stuff spoke to said apart from a power cut about 9am, which “happens quite often”, they had not heard about the tornado.

One woman said there was a “little bit of rain” in Pukenui, while another local said the weather was “sunny but windy”.

A MetService spokeswoman confirmed thunderstorms had rolled over the Far North at the time the mini tornado was reported.

She said the thunderstorms could have caused small tornados.

In Auckland, morning rain and wind caused sand on Stanmore Bay to be removed from the rocks.

MetService said a “disturbed northwesterly flow” was making its way across northern and central New Zealand, bringing cool temperatures.

There is a moderate risk of thunderstorms for Northland, Auckland, Great Barrier Island, Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato, Waitomo and Taranaki.

“Any thunderstorms that occur may be accompanied by localised heavy rain with intensities of 10 to 20mm per hour, strong wind gusts of 70 to 90kmh, and small hail.”

From Thursday evening, the risk of further thunderstorms for Kāpiti and Horowhenua increased.

“Any thunderstorms that occur may be accompanied by localised heavy rain with intensities of 10 to 20mm per hour strong wind gusts of 70 to 90kmh, and small hail.”

The thunderstorm risk follows severe weather warnings and watches for parts of the country earlier in the week.

Northland recorded 60mm of rain early Wednesday and wind gusts of up to 75kmh, causing surface flooding and road closures.