Houses damaged by tornado at Waihi Beach

Houses have been damaged by a tornado in Waihi Beach, in the Hauraki District.

Fire and Emergency NZ shift manager Josh Pennefather said it received calls about a tornado near The Crescent just before 8am.

Multiple houses were reported as damaged.

There are no reports of any injuries, Pennefather said.

Did you see the tornado? Email newstips@stuff.co.nz

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Police said they were responding to a “weather-related incident” on Seaforth Rd.

People are asked to avoid the area while emergency services respond.

“Powerlines have been brought down and parts of the road are blocked.”

More information will be issued when the area is safe to access, police said.

Papamoa resident Sarah Cooper, who is staying at an AirBnB near the beach, said “stuff just started flying through the sky”.

“I’m shaking,” she said.

The tornado went on for a few minutes, Cooper said, during which trees were blown around and fences knocked over.

The shed wall at the property she was staying at had blown away, she added.

“The locals are all a little shell shocked.”

There was about 30 seconds of “massive” rainfall following the tornado.

“And then it just went clear again.”

“The weather is now beautiful.”

She planned on going for a walk on the beach to settle her nerves.

Metservice meteorologist Stephen Glassey said tornados are usually small and local, meaning it was hard for weather stations to pick them up.

However, there was a thunderstorm warning in place for Waihi, which meant a tornado or waterspout was very likely to have happened.

MORE TO COME.