Tornado Devastates Hamilton: Hundreds Left Without Power
A tornado is reported to have torn through the Hamilton suburb of Nawton on Thursday evening, damaging property and trees.
Nearly 100 houses had their power cut off around 9:30 pm. Additionally, another 300 residences in and near the southern district of Bader experienced a loss of electricity shortly after midnight; however, this outage was resolved within one and a half hours.
Civil Defence Waikato stated they had received reports about a tornado; however, MetService was unable to verify this information.
Mayor Paula Southgate mentioned that emergency responders and urban tree experts are assisting with cleanup and repairs, and she requested residents to keep clear of the zone.
Images shared on social media depicted fallen fences, a trampoline entangled in power lines, and emergency crews responding to a damaged rooftop.
Strong gusts of wind have been pounding the area.
Previously, two houses in the city had their roofing tiles blown away, and several trees came crashing down in the Dinsdale suburb.
A company experienced slight water damage due to flooding.
Earlier severe thunderstorm alerts for Kaipara, Far North, Whangārei, and Rodney regions, which were initially issued by MetService, have now been canceled.
In another area, the Waipā District Council suggested that an unexpected hailstorm earlier could be responsible for localized flooding in certain regions.
The St. Peter's Catholic School in Cambridge shared a video of the outcome on their social media page.
A Cambridge resident also posted "scary hail storm ... never seen anything like it" on social media.
MetService stated that a low pressure system was traveling eastwards over the North Island, potentially causing severe gusts of wind.
It mentioned that there was also a minimal chance of a slight tornado forming, one that might happen regardless of whether or not there’s a thunderstorm present.
MetService stated that from Friday through the weekend, a pronounced westerly to southwesterly airflow would impact the nation.
Monitoring for potential severe gales was set up across multiple regions such as Hawke's Bay, Southern Fiordland, Southland, Stewart Island, Clutha, and Dunedin. These watch notifications had a strong likelihood of being escalated to wind warning status.
A severe wind warning was issued for the Chatham Islands, with a possibility of enhancement.
"Destruction of trees, power lines, and loose constructions could occur. It might be challenging to drive, particularly for tall lorries and motorbikes," according to MetService.
The weather bureau cautioned people living in these zones to fasten objects that might be swept away by high gusts and to drive carefully.
In the meantime, alerts for snowy conditions on the roads were issued for three routes in Southland and Central Otago.
The SH8 Lindis Pass, Crown Range Road, and SH94 Milford Road were anticipated to experience snow accumulation on Friday.
In the Bay of Plenty region, State Highway 25 north of Thames was shut down early Thursday because of a landslide.
The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) stated that the highway would stay closed as they awaited a technical assessment, with no alternative route provided. They advised drivers to steer clear of the region.
Sections of State Highway 2 close to Ōpōtiki experienced lane closures because of numerous landslides in the Waioweka Gorge area. While vehicles can continue using this road, drivers should exercise caution.
Andy Oakley, NZTA's System Manager for Waikato, stated that they were aware the state highway required enhanced durability, and this improvement was a key priority for the agency.
Weekend weather
Luckily, the stormy conditions should calm down nicely just as the weekend rolls around.
MetService stated that from Friday through Saturday, the nation will experience a robust westerly to southwesterly airflow.
Heather Keats from MetService stated that we will continue to experience the effects of the present low-pressure system as it moves across the nation. Therefore, strong southwesterly winds will remain until Saturday.
A ridge of high pressure over the North Island until Monday will calm the weather, with clear skies for most of the weekend, she said.
Nevertheless, there will be some rain showers in the southern and western parts of the South Island.
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