![\"Thunderstorm](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/KHKFTUDWFZF2VETWFWASPAODVA.jpg\")
\nThunderstorm clouds at Whakatu, Hawke’s Bay. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
MetService says Tauranga has been hit by one of the first confirmed tornadoes of the year, with one or more striking early on Sunday.<\/p>\n
New Zealand only has about 10 to 12 a year.<\/p>\n
They\u2019re usually brief and smaller than those overseas \u2013 but can still unleash violent winds and serious local damage.<\/p>\n
But what exactly are they?<\/p>\n
Tornadoes are rapidly rotating columns of air that extend upward into deep storm clouds known as cumulonimbus clouds.<\/p>\n
MetService meteorologist John Law said these are the same clouds responsible for thunderstorms and hail.<\/p>\n
Most thunderstorms \u2013 and therefore most tornadoes \u2013 are near the coast.<\/p>\n
\nThunderstorm clouds at Whakatu, Hawke’s Bay. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
Western coastal areas of the North and South Islands are particularly vulnerable, as coastal influences can help generate rotational movement where winds converge.<\/p>\n
\u201cTornadoes in New Zealand are generally much smaller in scale than the large, destructive tornadoes seen in places like the United States,\u201d Law said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, despite being short\u2011lived and affecting relatively narrow areas, they can still produce violent winds and cause significant damage, as we saw in Tauranga over the weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n
Their small size makes New Zealand tornadoes difficult to detect using radar or satellite imagery.<\/p>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Z4BNDR53CVG5TGGBPXE7XFVCSA.jpg\")
\nMaungatapu resident Hotu Frew\u2019s home was damaged when a tornado \u2013 or possibly tornadoes \u2013 touched down in Tauranga from about 1.30am on Sunday. Photo \/ Rosalie Liddle Crawford <\/p>\n
Meteorologists often rely on witnesses\u2019 and post\u2011event damage assessments to confirm their occurrence.<\/p>\n
\u201cTornadoes are usually associated with thunderstorms and sudden gusty winds,\u201d Law said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf people see a funnel cloud or hear thunder nearby, the safest option is to get inside immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
Their highly localised nature makes forecasting tornadoes challenging.<\/p>\n
Instead, forecasters focus on identifying weather conditions that are favourable for their formation, similar to how thunderstorms are forecast.<\/p>\n
If there is a significant threat, the risk is highlighted in the daily Thunderstorm Outlook | MetService<\/a>.<\/p>\n Recent Bay of Plenty tornadoes<\/p>\n
\n\tApril 2026: One or more tornadoes struck from about 1.30am as a thunderstorm moved over Tauranga<\/a>. Damage was reported in \u014ct\u016bmoetai, the CBD, Maungatapu and Welcome Bay.
\n\tOctober 2025: An afternoon tornado damaged several properties in Awakeri<\/a>.
\n\tApril 2023: A \u201cviolent\u201d tornado in Katikati<\/a> caused $100,000 damage to a kiwifruit orchard.
\n\tFebruary 2023: A tornado damaged homes and cut power to about 2000 properties at Waih\u012b Beach<\/a>.
\n\tJune 2020: A tornado ripped through Papamoa<\/a> sending roof tiles, trampolines, and roadworks signs flying and bringing down fences.
<\/p>\n