Roofs have been lifted from houses after a tornado tore through Central Otago this afternoon.
Four fire trucks were called to the scene in Springvale following reports of structural damage in the area around 6.27pm, a Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson told 1News.
Two fire trucks remain at the scene.
"Roofs are coming off in Golden Road just outside Alexandra," one witness wrote on Facebook.
A house in Alexandra can be seen with part of its roof missing and debris strewn on the ground following the incident.
A MetService spokesperson told 1News "the ingredients are there" for further tornadoes to batter the region, but the wild weather is "easing slowly".
There have been 876 lightning strikes in the last two hours, MetService said.
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