2011-05-03 MISC: Auckland, NZ

[J Allen]

Unconfirmed reports that 2 fatalities have occured from a tornado in Auckland NZ (and possibly one of a number of tornadoes that occured).
A few of the many videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xAm03EEnQo

http://yfrog.com/0opnoz

(Turn your head for this):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXYgQn-8nOs
Media link

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4956336/Tornado-strikes-Auckland-leaves-trail-of-destruction

Damage is rather impressive for that part of the world and a Cool season tornado. On what I have seen probably high end F1/low end F2 (cant be sure due to lack of observations). Note they use the original Fujita scale in NZ.

 

[jeremy wilson]

Violent and fast moving! I hope everyone is OK.

 

[Daniel Wood]

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/video-extraordinary-footage-auckland-tornado-0-39-4153067

Hopfully the above video is viewable outside of New Zealand, apologies if it is not, it should be up on youtube soon, it was only just released a few minutes ago.

 

[Willoughby Owen]

Hi John,

It would have been a warm season tornado with the humid sub-tropical airmass being pulled over the upper North Island by the Tasman Low.

Whenuapai Airbase was showing T/Tds of 19C/18C (66/64) so very low cloud bases with the supercell that formed north of Albany. From what I hear from reports there was no thunder associated. Considering the CAPE of around 400j/kg it's not surprising.

Here's the 3pm Auckland Radar image showing the signature hook-echo.

 

[Darren Addy]

It clearly takes at least one vehicle right off of the lane of oncoming traffic and appears to drive it into a wall beside the other lanes.

 

[Bret Hendrickson]

It clearly takes at least one vehicle right off of the lane of oncoming traffic and appears to drive it into a wall beside the other lanes.

Looks like a trailer ripped from a semi.