Waihi Beach tornado sounded like ‘missile’ as it tore off roofs

A Waihi Beach resident said was “still shaking” after describing what is believed to be a tornado that hit the coastal town on Saturday morning, damaging several homes.

Residents have alternately described the tornado as sounding like a train, or a missile, when it struck shortly before 8am.

Striking footage shows a water spout forming on the coast.

Ken Mustard, who lives on Wilson St, said the tornado appeared large, believing it was “100m wide by hundreds of feet up in the air” and lasted about 10 minutes.

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“It was very noisy, like a train. It was raining very heavily before that and suddenly this noise came. We had a tree [fall] because of the winds. We have had so much bad weather but this was just the worst of the lot.”

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Fire and Emergency NZ received calls reporting a tornado just before 8am, with multiple houses damaged – however no reports of injuries.

Police reported the event had taken down power lines, and about 1500 properties were without power until at least midday.

Police asked people to avoid the area while emergency services responded.

A Dillon St resident, who did not want to be named, had a bruised arm from smashed glass when the tornado hit her house.

Her daughter, who lives in Waihi town, said glass pieces from broken doors and windows, caused by fallen trees, were everywhere on the lawn when she arrived to check on her mother.

The roof was damaged and she estimated the repairs would be expensive.

She was glad her mother was safe.

“She was in the living room when she heard the glass smashing and ran to the bedroom. It was very noisy, like missiles smashing on the glass.”

Waihi beach resident Emma Rohloff was checking in on family friend Phil Foster who also lives on Dillon St.

She said the tornado ripped his garage door, smashed some windows, and trees were everywhere.

“We just came to help and we’re glad that Phil was fine.”

Rohloff said: “It is a really tight community and everyone is helping out each other.”

Maria and Brian Duffey were staying at their friend’s bach on Dillon St and were woken up by “heavy rain followed by loud noise”.

The tree in the property’s front yard fell onto their neighbour’s, but their bach was not affected.

Speaking to media from Muriwai in Auckland, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said he understood a number of houses had lost their roofs and power.

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.

Scott St resident Alana Broadhead-Fryer said her family was woken by howling wind, prompting them to bring in their umbrellas from their deck.

They quickly realised it wasn’t just wind, but something more serious, Broadhead-Fyer said, adding that the funnel in the blackened sky was “just like in the movies”.

“It was quite a sight because there was stuff flying everywhere.”

Palm trees across the road were “almost bent in half,” she said.

A neighbour told her the tornado picked up their van from the road and dropped it onto a berm.

“It was very intense, but I just feel grateful no one was hurt.”

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.

Correction: Waihi Beach is in Western Bay district, while Waihi village is in Hauraki district. Story amended February 25, 10.12am.