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National | Natural disaster

Tornado strikes National Park Village

Destroyed house National Park. Source: Ruapehu District Council.
A tornado and galeforce winds have torn through parts of Taranaki and Ruapehu causing extreme damage to houses, power lines and trees.
In Rahotu, a community west of Taranaki, at least half a dozen houses have lost their roofs tops.
Fire and emergency services are responding to several calls about downed power lines and toppled trees in the area caused by strong winds.

EDIT 8: Morning everyone! Hope you are all keeping warm out there. Its quieted quite a bit out there but some heavy rain...

Posted by Taranaki Civil Defence Emergency Management on Monday, April 9, 2018
Metservice says wind gusts of up to 110km per hour have caused damage in the Taranaki region, where 6,000 strikes were recorded in one hour.
Meanwhile, at National Park Village in Ruapehu several homes have been damaged by the wind and Ruapehu District Council Chief Executive Clive Manley says Carol Street at the village is closed.
“Anyone wanting to go to the Welfare Centre at the National Park School hall should use Miller St.  Civil Defence are continuing to assess damage and assist people as required,” says Manley in a statement.
New Zealand Transport is advising people travelling through the central and lower North Island to take extra care on the roads and be prepared for winter-like conditions over the next 24 hours.
“Severe gales, high winds, heavy rain warnings and road snowfall warnings have been issued for parts of the central and Lower North Island.
People should check the Metservice for the latest information.”
Gales for New Zealand

Incoming Severe Gales. Gales are expected for much of the country today. A low pressure centre will move across the upper North Island, and gusts of up to 120km/h are possible this evening in Auckland, Waikato and the Coromandel Peninsula. Many other places are also under watch or warning for severe gale, see http://bit.ly/SWWarnings for more information. Before the gales, a line of squally thunderstorms will bring more localised gusts of up to 110km/h to the upper North Island. These wind gusts have already caused damage in the Taranaki region, where 6000 strikes were recorded in one hour. The line is just offshore for Auckland now, so expect some gusty, windy conditions in the next hour in the city of sails. ^TA

Posted by MetService New Zealand on Monday, April 9, 2018
 
For the rest of the country, MetService says a low-pressure centre will move across the upper North Island, and gusts of up to 120km per hour are possible this evening in Auckland, Waikato and the Coromandel Peninsula.
Many other places are also under watch or warning for severe gales.