Relive 1News' live weather updates after a tornado hit Levin in the lower North Island.
What you need to know
- Levin was hit by a tornado at approximately 6.30am on Friday, damaging homes, downing power lines and ripping out trees
- State Highway 1 through Levin has reopened
- MetService has issued a strong wind watch for many parts of the country into the weekend. There are also road snowfall warnings.
Live updates
1.35pm - MetService says unsettled weather is predicted to remain over the country this weekend.
It also observed 12,000 lightning strikes in the six hours to 11.30am this morning.
1.09pm - The NZTA says SH1 through Levin reopened just after 12.35pm.
There's also been a further update from the Horowhenua District Council.
It says drone footage shows around 30 to 50 houses have been damaged.
As at 11.48am this morning 11,882 customers were affected by power outages. A total of 11,185 customers have had their power restored and 797 remain without power.
Streets and roads that have been cleared and are now open:
- Oxford St
- Tararua Rd
- George Street
- Skye St
- Winchester St
- Parker St
- Wilton St
- Sterling St
- Adkin Ave
- Hinemoa St
Streets, roads and buildings that are closed:
- Levin Mall
- Te Takeretanga-o-kura-hau-pō
- Cambridge St (currently being cleared)
- Gladstone Rd (closed but passable to one lane south of Tararua Rd, open north of Tararua Rd)
- Tawa St
12.55pm - During this morning's tornado in Levin a garden shed was flung across the street into a woman's house, 1News reporter Cushla Norman reports.
The shed smashed through the front window of the house.
The woman was taken to hospital.
Norman discovered Friday's wild weather has also damaged the area's crops.
READ MORE: Levin woman in tears after tornado destroys ‘pride and joy’ garden
Woodhaven Gardens told Norman some of its crops had perished thanks to hail stones.
It said the hail stones had shot the through the crops like a machine gun.
Resident Bianca Baker also spoke more to 1News and said the tornado had "ripped apart" Levin.
"It's just destroyed everything in its path," she said.
A distraught resident is among those who have been affected by the wild weather. (Source: 1News)
12.36pm - Four lanes have been closed on Auckland's Harbour Bridge as wind gusts are rising.
Two lanes remain open in each direction.
Some people could be seen cleaning up debris in the wake of Friday morning's tornado. (Source: 1News)
11.58am - MetService says snow is falling in many parts of the South Island high country.
It has issued several road snowfall warnings.
The downed tree fell onto SH3 just outside of Urenui. Credit: Te Ruinga Diamond (Source: 1News)
11.49am - The Horowhenua District Council says as at 10.51am this morning 11874 Horowhenua Kāpiti customers had been impacted by power outages.
A total of 687 remained without power.
It also said Horowhenua Kāpiti is under a severe weather watch, so people are advised to stay home unless travel is critical.
Minor injuries have been reported thanks to broken glass, the council said.
The council also said water treatment plants at Shannon and Tokomaru are currently offline due to turbidity.
It said water storage capacity is sufficient, but as a precaution tankers have been activated for Tokomaru.
Powerlines down and/or damage reported on:
-Parker Ave
- Victoria St
- Tawa St
- George St
- Adkin Ave
- Skye St
- Cambridge Place
- Mako Mako Rd (Lake Horowhenua end)
Streets currently closed:
- Oxford St
- Cambridge St (from Liverpool to Bath St)
- Tawa St
- Wilton St
- Gladstone Rd
- Winchester St
- Tararua Rd
- Parker St
- Sterling St
The following schools are closed while damage is assessed:
- St Joseph's School
- Learning Adventures
- Levin School
- Levin Intermediate School
- Horowhenua College
- Ōhau School
1News captured these images of tornado damage in Goldsmith Crescent.
Footage shows cars driving through heavy hail built up on a road in Ōhau. (Source: 1News)
11.27am - Hail hit Ōhau in the Horowhenua District early this morning.
Resident Michelle Fox Cooper told 1News there's dents in their vehicles from it.
11am - 1News has received more information on the incident in Cambridge.
FENZ says they arrived at the scene around 10.04am.
READ MORE: Person critical in Cambridge after being trapped under fallen tree
The patient was not freed until about 45 minutes later.
Spreaders, diggers and shovels were used to remove them from beneath the tree.
10.55am - A person is in a critical condition after being trapped under a fallen tree in Cambridge's Victoria Square Gardens.
10.50am - A spokesperson from the Horowhenua District Council says that the damage in Levin is within a perimeter that the tornado travelled through.
They are currently deploying drones to film and assess the damage from the air and develop a plan to deal with it.
The council urges residents to turn off power if water is coming into their property and call the council on 06 366 0999 if they have urgent welfare needs.
10.28am - The NZTA says two lanes in each direction on the Harbour Bridge are now open as wind gusts have eased.
10.19am - Strong winds in Auckland have closed the Harbour Bridge. Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said winds had reached over 95km/h.
Motorists in Auckland are advised to delay their journeys or use SH16 and SH18 as an alternative route.
10.13am - MetService meteorologist Daniel Corrigan says Levin can expect another thunderstorm or two this morning, with the potential for hail and strong wind gusts.
After 12pm, shows are expected to continue and some are likely to be heavy. There is also a possibility of another thunderstorm with hail this afternoon or evening.
However, he said the main threat of severe weather was with the band of active thunderstorms which has already moved on.
Corrigan said a band of "very active thunderstorms" had moved across Levin this morning between 7.30am and 8am.
It had brought a period of intense rain, strong winds and hail. A nearby weather station reported wind gusts of 140km/h and a burst of rainfall amounting to 18mm.
9.50am - NIWA says there have been more than 4000 lightning strikes around the country and Tasman Sea since midnight.
MetService has also updated its severe weather information, saying thunderstorms have the potential to bring hail and damaging wind gusts.
9.33am - A tornado also reportedly hit Waitara Beach in Taranaki around 8.30am this morning.
Locals took to the Extreme Weather Taranaki Facebook group to say there had been rain, hail and wind at the time.
There were no reports of major damage.
9.17am - Horowhenua Mayor Bernie Wanden took to Facebook this morning to provide an update on the "mini tornado".
"Look, it's not a good morning, is it?" he began.
Wanden said the tornado's path through the town had been from the west and mainly across a park at Victoria St.
He said power was off to "many areas" and said many places were experiencing thunder and lightning.
READ MORE: Levin tornado: Woman covered in glass after 'horrendous noise'
An incident management team had been stood up and were assessing the damage.
"I just wanted to make sure that you stay safe. I hope there isn't too much damage at your property and just look after yourselves," he said.
"It may be a day of staying at home and just hunkering down a little bit."
8.55am - Police say they are aware of surface flooding and downed powerlines in the wake of the tornado.
State Highway 1 in Levin is closed, so motorists are asked to delay their travel or take an alternative route.
Motorists travelling through Levin are advised to take extra care, particularly through Ohau, due to ice on the roads.
"We will have staff in Levin today providing community reassurance and assisting with any clean-up," a spokesperson said.
8.50am - Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ) says it has received more than 50 calls, mainly from Levin.
The calls have mostly been for powerlines and trees down, along with missing roofs.
A FENZ spokesperson says no injuries have been reported at this stage.
Multiple fire trucks are in the town and their base is the Levin Fire Station.
8.46am - Levin resident Bianca Baker also told 1News the tornado was "loud like a cannon", breaking her windows and covering her in glass.
"The destruction is like nothing I've ever witnessed. All of the fences are ripped out and there's a mess everywhere."
8.40am - We Electricity says Rakau Grove and Stokes Valley Rd in the Stokes Valley have lost power.
8.33am - Due to severe weather hitting parts of the central and lower North Island, five flights out of Wellington Airport have been delayed. The airport says nothing has been cancelled.
The airport says they don't expect to be hit any worse. "At this stage in the clear," the airport said.
8.17am - Levin resident Bianca Baker says the noise of the tornado was "horrendous".
"It was like I woke from a very scary nightmare, was louder than gunshots and I was covered in glass from all the windows blown in,' she told 1News.
“I'm in complete shock but so happy to be alive."
Video from one resident showed the tornado had damaged the roof of one home and flattened fences as it ripped through the town. (Source: 1News)
8.12am - Civil Defence is urging people to stay home unless travel is critical.
8.10am - A number of roads are closed in addition to SH1, with a number of schools are also closed while the damage to buildings is assessed.
Streets currently closed:
Oxford Street, Cambridge Street (from Liverpool to Bath Street), Tawa Street, Wilton Street, Gladstone Road & Mako Mako Road.
Schools currently closed: St Joseph School, Learning Adventures, Levin School, Levin Intermediate, Horowhenua College.
8.00am - SH1 will be closed between Durham Street and Supercheap Auto, after a strong smell of gas was reported following the tornado.
A local posted on the local traffic updates Facebook page that the mini twister had brought down trees, power lines and damaged houses.
Images posted by Ōtaki MP Terisa Ngobi showed that buildings had been ripped apart, and large trees had been ripped up by their stumps.
Motorists are asked to delay travel or seek an alternative route.
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