A powerful and sudden tornado ripped through a rural campground at Lake Dudding in Rangitīkei, New Zealand, on Wednesday afternoon, unleashing chaos and leaving one individual injured. The severe weather event, which occurred around 12:36 PM, violently flipped a caravan and prompted an immediate emergency response to the Manawatū site.
Caretaker Describes Moment "All Hell Broke Loose"
Lance Phillips, the dedicated caretaker of the Dudding Lake campground, recounted the terrifying moments leading up to the tornado's strike. Just minutes before the incident, he had been enjoying a coffee with Bill, the man who would soon experience the full force of the storm. Phillips noted that the weather, initially "quite fine," rapidly deteriorated as the sky turned an ominous "really black" and a distinct rumbling sound began to intensify.
"There was just this rumble... you could hear it before it hit. Then all hell broke loose," Phillips vividly described. He found it challenging to articulate the sheer speed and overwhelming nature of the event, emphasizing its unexpected arrival and the immediate onset of pandemonium. Upon discovering the extent of the damage, Phillips admitted he was "dumbfounded" by the widespread destruction, which included numerous felled trees and overturned structures.
Victim's Traumatic Encounter with the Tornado
Bill was inside his caravan when the tornado made landfall, causing his vehicle to be violently flipped twice. Dazed but resilient, he managed to crawl out through a window before emergency services arrived to transport him to the hospital for assessment. Phillips later confirmed that Bill has since returned to the campground, but he anticipates the traumatic experience will leave him "traumatised for a little bit," acknowledging the profound psychological impact of such a sudden and life-threatening event. Despite ongoing gusty winds in the area, Phillips asserted he could handle the current conditions, drawing a stark contrast to the "unhandleable" tornado.
Widespread Severe Weather Across North Island
The tornado at Lake Dudding was not an isolated incident but part of a broader severe weather system that swept across significant portions of New Zealand's North Island. Following a stormy night on Wednesday, several weather watches remained active for various regions. Heavy rain and strong winds lashed Te Ika-a-Māui overnight, with areas such as Tai Rāwhiti, including Wharerata, recording an impressive 57 millimetres of rain within a 12-hour period. Gisborne also experienced substantial downpours, nearing 40mm.
Exposed coastal areas across Northland, Auckland, Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa, and Wellington were battered by powerful gusts, with Cape Turnagin registering winds reaching 142 kilometres per hour. MetService reported that many parts of Northland endured winds exceeding 100km/h. The stormy conditions on Wednesday also generated over 13,000 lightning strikes and produced hailstones measuring up to 2 centimetres in size across the North Island. While some severe weather watches were set to expire, others, particularly for the eastern Tararua District and Hawke's Bay, were expected to continue until the afternoon.