Tornado north of New Plymouth

[ato2]

Urenui is a small town about 30km distance from New Plymouth. Link to reported tornado here: Tornado rips through Taranaki town | Stuff.co.nz

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[JennyLeez]

Unbelievable - in our own backyard.

The US is certainly being hammered at present. Much destruction and 6 dead so far from an apparent 71 tornados.

Here is a couple more photos I found from the Taranaki Tornado.

[ato2]

Adding to this- a few kilometres south, by Motunui, closer to the methanol plant, is an area which seems to get more than its fair share of dramatic wind events- often called tornado alley by locals.

[ato2]

And a couple lost a shed or garage, not sure which, near Inglewood, inland and south of New Plymouth. Couple lose shed in treacherous Taranaki weather | Stuff.co.nz

[Martin4Jay]

That must been so terrifying specially 1am in the morning glad everyone safe as you can build a building but you cant have a life if you died



P.S Some of the news papers are suggesting a mini Tornado,
I believe that a tornado is a tornado when it touches the ground,
What do you think?

[ato2]

Quite often the media here rush to call every wind damage event a tornado. We do have them, near where I live, but they are very narrow in their  paths, compared to the ones in the USA.

[Rwood]

Don't think a tornado classification (for Urenui) is confirmed officially as of yet.

[ato2]

Yes, will be interesting to see what is concluded. The only update from Met Service I have found says:

 MetService severe weather forecaster Erick Brenstrum said it was likely a tornado had occurred as there had been active thunderstorms in the area.

But there was a possibility the damage could have instead been caused by "straight-line winds", which were also associated with thunderstorms.