Shirlene Patterson's 100 year old villa in Tuiti Street, Waitara, had much of its roof ripped off, in what many have described as a tornado, just after midnight, on 28 June, 2025. Photo: RNZ/ Robin Martin
Residents in the Taranaki town of Waitara are assessing damage after strong winds ripped through the area overnight.
Meteorologist Kgolofello Dube said the atmospheric conditions at the time were "favourable" to a tornado forming, and given the damage, it was likely - but Dube could not yet confirm whether it was one.
Firefighters were called to several homes shortly after midnight after strong winds blew out a sunroom on Elliott Street.
There were also reports of lifted roofs, flattened fences, and even a car being tossed around like it was a matchbox toy.
Photo: RNZ/ Robin Martin
Fire and Emergency said there were no injuries, but at least 11 houses on the main street of Waitara alone suffered damage.
Photo: RNZ/ Robin Martin
A Tuiti Street resident said the tornado had ripped off her roof, demolished a greenhouse, and took out trees on her property.
Shirlene Patterson said she was in bed with her five-year-old granddaughter beside her.
"I was sound asleep but then I heard the peeling and cracking of the tin coming off, and then a bang. I'm not sure what direction it was going - the bang could have been a tree going, it was a huge bottlebrush tree.
"I had my five-year-old granddaughter in the bedroom with me, I got out of bed and grabbed her and brought her down to the other end of the house and it felt more secure."
Patterson said her granddaughter was "absolutely my first priority", and she grabbed her and they went to a safer part of the house to take shelter.
Her villa had "good bones" and that was probably what helped save it, she added.
"The damage is significant, for a 100-year-old house, it's got really good bones and it is really sturdy. [But] the roof, the structure, its apex that was up there, that has all gone."
Patterson said it looked like parts of a neighbouring property that was damaged had hit her house.
Photo: RNZ/ Robin Martin
At nearby Aratapu Street, Susan Duncan thought her Ford Focus had been hit by another vehicle, but the tornado had picked it up and thrown it around, smashing windows and denting panel work.
Photo: RNZ/ Robin Martin
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