Small tornado pays flying visit to coast

A small tornado has whipped through coastal Manawatu, ripping off a barn roof and cutting power as the lower North Island was hammered by strong winds.

The tornado touched down briefly about 2.45pm yesterday near Oroua Downs on State Highway 1. Police said it was seen heading north along the highway before appearing to die out.

It caused minor damage, including a piece of corrugated iron being sent flying into powerlines off SH1, cutting off power.

‘‘It passed along the south side of my property, ripping the panelling off the fence and throwing garden pots, etc in the air,’’ Himatangi Beach resident Catherine Brown said. ‘‘It sounded like a freight train.’’

Himatangi Beach’s volunteer fire brig- ade was called to help a farmer whose barn roof had been ripped off. Power was restored shortly before 4pm.

MetService forecaster Paul Mallinson had been watching the radar screens and said it was possible a small tornado had formed from the thunderstorm weather cell that had passed through the area.

‘‘The storm that has come up the coast is more suggestive of thunder and gusty winds, but you can never really can rule out a tornado – they can be very small,’’ he said. Winds around the Wellington region reached a peak of about 115kmh.

MetService said today would be mainly fine with light southerlies and some showers possible in the morning. Northerly winds would return later in the week, but they were not expected to be as strong as in the past few days. ‘‘It sounded like a freight train.’’