More than two dozen homes are still without power following a mini tornado and extremely high winds north of Wellington yesterday.
Electricity was cut to a number of homes in Waikanae on the Kapiti Coast as the blustery conditions blew trees onto powerlines.
Electra spokesman Ross Leggett today told NZPA about 30 homes were still without power this afternoon but the company hoped to have services fully restored by 6pm.
The twister hit 1.5km north of Waikanae at about 4pm yesterday, tearing roofs off buildings, blowing cars off roads and injuring several people.
A woman was taken to Wellington Hospital after an uprooted tree crushed the caravan she was in.
At least one person had to be rescued from their home after a tree fell on it, trapping them inside, and a man suffered minor injuries to one hand after his van toppled on State Highway 1.
MetService today forecast more wild weather for much of the country, including more tornadoes.
Another "very strong" front was expected tonight and tomorrow and more fronts were due to bring gales and heavy rain until about Wednesday.
The forecaster issued severe weather warnings for much of the South Island, where an unstable northwest flow was strengthening.
It expected winds in excess of 110kmh and damaging tornadoes on the west of the South Island, while also warning Southland and Stewart Island residents to brace for strong winds.
Thundery rainfall was forecast to reach warning thresholds in the west of the South Island tonight and the severe westerly gales which eased this morning were expected to redevelop tonight in the eastern South Island and early tomorrow in the south and east of the North Island.
MetService warned streams and rivers could rise quickly and anticipated strong winds would knock down trees and powerlines.
WeatherWatch forecaster Philip Duncan said the tornado risk would increase as the front moved north.
"The risk for tornadoes is very real and certainly expected to be more widespread on Monday and Tuesday," he said.
"But it's also worth pointing out that tornadoes are, in fact, normal in New Zealand. I guess what hasn't been so normal is the fact that this year they've been hitting populated places rather than forests and farms."
Mr Duncan said people should remain calm as "the chance of a tornado hitting your home still remains low".
Firefighters were yesterday called to numerous weather-related incidents in Kapiti, Wellington and Wairarapa.
Most of the callouts involved fallen trees, smashed windows and flooding, the Fire Service said.
Firefighter John Arthur told Radio New Zealand he saw a large amount of damage.
"There was one car on its side lying in a ditch and there were three other cars which had a fair bit of damage," he said.
"The big, historic woolshed was quite badly damaged and I could see another building, possibly a shed, had been demolished."
Thunderstorms, heavy rain and strong winds also lashed much of the country from Waitomo to the west coast of the South Island.
A cold snap also brought a large dumping of snow to Treble Cone Skifield at Wanaka, creating instability and a high risk of avalanche in some areas.
State Highway 94 between Te Anau and Milford Sound was closed due to snow, the New Zealand Transport Agency website reported.
Is also urged drivers to be careful in Arthurs Pass due to snow.
