A tornado is reported to have torn through the Hamilton suburb of Nawton on Thursday evening, damaging property and trees.
Power was cut to nearly 100 homes at about 9.30pm. A further 300 homes in and around the southern suburb of Bader lost power at midnight.
Civil Defence Waikato said it had received reports of a tornado, although MetService could not confirm that.
Mayor Paula Southgate said emergency services and city arborists were helping with clean up and repairs, and asked people to stay away from the area.
Photos posted to social media showed fences blown over, a trampoline stuck in power lines and emergency services attending to a hole in a roof.
High winds have been battering the region.
Earlier two homes in the city lost roof tiles and some trees were downed in the suburb of Dinsdale.
One business had minor flooding.
Severe thunderstorm warnings for Kaipara, Far North, Whangārei and Rodney issued earlier by MetService had since been lifted.
Elsewhere, Waipā District Council said a sudden hailstorm earlier in the day may have caused surface flooding in some areas.
St Peter’s Catholic School in Cambridge posted a video of the aftermath to its social media account.
Hail at St Peter’s Catholic School in Cambridge, Waikato this afternoon.
Photo: Screengrab
A Cambridge resident also posted “scary hail storm … never seen anything like it” on social media.
A low was moving eastward across the North Island, bringing possible severe gales, MetService said.
It said there was also a low risk of a small tornado, which could occur with or without a thunderstorm.
MetService said during Friday and over the weekend, a strong west to southwest flow would affect the country.
Watches for the possibility of severe gales were in place for several areas, including Hawke’s Bay, Southern Fiordland, Southland, Stewart Island, Clutha and Dunedin. There was a high chance these watches would be upgraded to wind warnings.
A strong wind watch was also in place for Chatham Islands with a moderate chance of an upgrade.
“Damage to trees, powerlines, and unsecured structures [are] possible. Driving may be difficult, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles,” MetService said.
The forecasting agency advised residents in these areas to secure items that could be picked up by strong winds and drive cautiously.
A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for Kaipara, Far North, Whangārei and Rodney.
Photo: MetService
Meanwhile, road snowfall warnings were in place for three roads in Southland and Central Otago.
Lindis Pass (SH8), Crown Range Road and Milford Road (SH94) were expected to have snow accumulate on Friday.
In Bay of Plenty, State Highway 25 north of Thames was closed due to a slip early on Thursday.
The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said the highway would remain closed while it awaited a technical evaluation and there was no detour available. It said motorists should avoid the area.
Lanes on State Highway 2 near Ōpōtiki were also blocked due to multiple slips on Waioweka Gorge. Motorists can still travel on this route, however, they are advised to take care.
NZTA’s System Manager for Waikato Andy Oakley said it knew the state highway needed increased resilience and this was a focus for the agency.
Weekend weather
Fortunately, the wild weather is likely to clear up just in time for the weekend.
During Friday and Saturday a strong west to southwest flow affects the country, MetService said.
“We will still have the hangover from the current low pressure system that’s moving across the country. So, strong southwesterlies persist through to Saturday,” MetService’s Heather Keats said.
A ridge of high pressure over the North Island until Monday will calm the weather, with clear skies for most of the weekend, she said.
However, there will be some showers in the south and west of the South Island.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.