Weather alert issued for Canterbury

Just days after being battered by a devastating 'supercell' storm, Cantabrians have again been warned to batten down the hatches.

A cold front is galloping across the South Island today which MetService forecasters say could deliver more thunderstorms, localised heavy rain, 90kmh wind gusts, and hail up to 20mm in diameter to the region.

There's also a low risk of the storms becoming severe about the Canterbury foothills with even bigger hailstones.

Residents in the small North Canterbury townships of Balcairn and Amberley have spent the week cleaning up after a tornado touched down in three places early on Sunday evening.

It tore the roof off one house, damaged about 20 others, flattened trees, downed powerlines, and left a distinct path of destruction.

- By Kurt Bayer of APNZ

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