New Zealand struck by a twister
A tornado has torn through a North Island, New Zealand town, leaving significant damage in its aftermath. Luckily, there were no immediate reports of major injury following the tornado, which cut through New Plymouth in the early morning Monday, local time.
According to the New Zealand Herald, the twister swept in from the sea into the central business district at about 4:20 a.m., damaging at least 15 premises. The report told of roof damage and shattered windows, as well as water infiltration. Power in the area was lost. One resident rode out the storm in her bedroom as windows shattered and personal items were sucked outside by the fearsome wind.
A local emergency management officer, Mike Langford, said that the twister’s path, which was apparently about 2 km long, was like that of another tornado that struck the city in 2007.
Weather maps show that, at the time of the tornado, low pressure lay off the west coast of North Island. The low would have provided the atmospheric spin needed to foster a tornado, given a strong thunderstorm.
New Plymouth is located on the island’s west coast. (AccuWeather)
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