New Zealand's lower North Island hit by tornadoes

WELLINGTON – Tornadoes continued to plague New Zealand with one hitting north of the country's capital city of Wellington early on Tuesday (April 11), lifting roofs off houses and leaving one person injured, and a second tornado touching down further north.

Wellington Fire and Emergency said in a statement that at least four houses were damaged with roofs blown off and at least one house lifted off its piles.

New Zealand media organisation the New Zealand Herald is also reporting a teenager is in hospital after the building he was sleeping in was destroyed.

Fire and Emergency have also confirmed a second small tornado hit Taranaki, which is on the west coast of the country's North Island, earlier Tuesday with more houses damaged.

The tornadoes follow two days of wild weather in New Zealand with around 10 houses in New Zealand's largest city of Auckland currently uninhabitable following a tornado on Sunday and further damage caused by tornadoes in the northern part of the South Island on Monday.

The country's weather forecaster, Metservice, is warning that there could be further severe weather including tornadoes in parts of the North Island later on Tuesday.

Tornadoes are relatively rare in New Zealand.

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