A truck driver has captured the terrifying moment he drove in the path of a tornado which ripped through Taranaki this morning
Rick Field posted a video on his Facebook page saying it was "110% the scariest thing" he'd experienced.
The footage shows Mr Field driving down a road near Stratford at 7.30am while wind, rain and debris whip around in front of his truck.
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"Once I saw the rain go sideways, I knew there was probably a tornado and I couldn't find anywhere to hide and I was worried about the powerlines," Mr Field told 1NEWS.
"I couldn't see and once branches landed on the road in front of me I thought 'Oh, god' and I have to get away from the trees."
Mr Field says branches were hitting the cab of his truck and he was afraid a tree or powerline would come down.
When he tried to drive back down the same road an hour later he says the road was closed due to powerlines and trees being down. A hay barn nearby had also blown away.
"You still think, 'What could I have done differently?' But there's so much going on at the time."
Tornadoes touched down in both Taranaki and National Park Village this morning causing widespread damage, including houses losing roofs.
You can follow our live updates as severe weather hits much of New Zealand here.
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