A mother hid in her bathroom with her two young daughters when a twister struck in Cromwell this afternoon, damaging two houses.
Emergency services have been assisting residents at the two addresses, where house roofs were lifted about 3pm.
The twister formed in the vicinity of the Cromwell Golf Course, police said.
It moved across Neplusultra St, through a reserve and across several properties between Horace and Ortive Sts before dissipating.
A house in Ortive St and one in Horace St had roofing iron and tiles lifted off by the twister.
A clothes line was also blown over and a large tree was uprooted.
One woman took refuge with her two young daughters in the bathroom until the twister passed.
No one was injured during the event, which lasted a few minutes.
