At about three in the morning a tornado tore through the seaside town of Mangawhai in Northland, north of Auckland. It ripped roofs off homes, snapped concrete power poles and damaged about fifty properties while most people were asleep.
▶ Open on the mapNearly 5,000 homes lost power, and two people were hurt when the roof came off their bedroom.
New Zealand gets a few small tornadoes every year, mostly along the west coast of the North Island.