By Kristie Boland of 
Emergency services were called to two houses in Cobden after reports of a tornado about 1am. File photo
Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
A tornado has ripped through Greymouth, West Coast, causing damage to at least four houses overnight.
Emergency services were called to two houses in Cobden in Greymouth’s north, after reports of a tornado about 1am Monday.
A roof had been lifted off a house and windows had blown in on at least four properties, Fire and Emergency spokesperson Alex Norris said.
Crews attended two properties on Fox St and would return to assess the damage on Monday morning.
Norris said no one had been injured.
While on the phone to police, a person reported their neighbour’s roof had come off, a police spokesperson said.
Police also found a roof at a school had been partially lifted, they said.
It comes after heavy rain caused slips and flooding in Tasman district and the West Coast on Sunday.
State Highway 6 in Westland was closed from Ross to Haast on Sunday afternoon, because of slips and fallen trees, and would remain closed until at least midday Monday.
SH6 from Ross to Hokitika had surface flooding but was open with cautions.
Power was lost to some areas of South Westland due to a fallen tree at Lake Mapourika and was not restored overnight. The Westpower website said areas in Franz Joseph and Fox Glacier South were affected.
West Coast Emergency Management advised on their website cell phone tower batteries would run out overnight.
“This will mean that there will be no cell phone coverage or internet in the affected areas of South Westland until power is restored,” it said.
Motorists were encouraged to visit the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner website before they travel for updates.
– This story was originally published on Stuff
Story Credit: rnz.co.nz