FENZ crews from Edgecumbe and Whakatāne were attending the scene. Photo: Pretoria Gordon / RNZ
Fire and Emergency says several homes have been damaged by a tornado in the Bay of Plenty on Sunday afternoon.
FENZ shift manager Paul Radden said four crews were at the scene on State Highway 30 in Awakeri, about 11km from Whakatāne, where several roofs appeared to have lifted.
Crews from Edgecumbe and Whakatāne were on site.
A Hato Hone St John spokesperson said one ambulance and one manager had also responded to the scene, but medical assistance was not required.
Whakatāne resident Emmeline Henderson said she saw roof iron ripped off a building on State Highway 30.
Henderson said she drove through Awakeri shortly after the weather event and saw emergency crews at the side of the road.
One resident, who did not want to be named, said the tornado caused "quite a bit of damage" in Awakeri, taking roofs of houses.
Metservice forecaster Gerard Barrow said a small tornado likely developed from a thunderstorm southwest of Whakatāne.
"It was a very isolated thunderstorm," he said. "If you're going to get a tornado, you are going to get them out of a thunderstorm.
"When exactly the tornado formed in that thunderstorm is very difficult to tell."
The thunderstorm lasted about half an hour and moved northeast from Te Teko towards Whakatāne, but weakened before it got to the town, Barrow said.
The tornado likely only lasted minutes, he said.
Whakatāne District Mayor Victor Luca said he thought the tornado must have been highly localised.
He said another person he knew in Awakeri witnessed rain, hail and strong gusts.
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