A tornado ripped through an Auckland suburb in the early hours of this morning, killing one person and injuring many more.
The twister hit a shopping centre in the Albany area of the city at 3pm local time (0300 GMT) and tipped over cars, felled trees and tore roofs from homes.
In the confusion, the local media were told two people had died but later reports said there was one fatality only. However, that figure could change as rescue workers continue to sift through the 5km of carnage the tornado left behind.
New Zealand media reports say around 18 people have been taken to hospital.
by Dinah Hatch
