Up to 30 homes were damaged last night when a tornado roared through a New Plymouth suburb last night, cutting power lines, tearing off roofs, and toppling trees.

It was one of two tornados reported in the North Island, with the other tearing through Ohope.

It struck the Belt Road, Gaine Street and Cutfield Road area at 4.50pm yesterday.

Locals say it roared up Belt Road for about 300m, smashing fences and lifting roofs.

Residents were extremely lucky there were no injuries, police say.

Sergeant Peter Lawn of New Plymouth police says up to 30 homes were damaged in the Belt Road and Gaine Street area about 3km west of the CBD.

"There's vast amounts of property damage that's been caused by the tornado. We're lucky at this stage that no-one's been injured or that we're aware of."

Peter says several roads in the area were closed overnight for safety and to protect properties from looting.

Last night, lines company Powerco was unable to say how many properties were still without electricity

One of the owners of a New Plymouth holiday park said there was a tremendous noise as the wind hit blowing out windows and ripping branches off trees.

Anna Crawford says the terrifying tornado which lasted about 30 seconds also tore the roof off the next-door bowling club.

Central Districts Indoor Bowls club president Raewyn Dempsey was thankful no one was hurt.

"The tornado has gone through the middle of the hall and lifted the roof, peeled the roof right back and I believe inside its taken all of our ceiling down and dropped it all over the mats and bowls.

"We are very lucky because there is a club that plays here on a Monday night ... the way the ceiling and that's fallen through it could've injured a lot of people."

New Plymouth resident Daisy Symes rushed to make sure her nephew was safe after her house lost its roof.

"I saw the roof lift and there's a giant hole in our lounge so I was watching the tornado pass over."

She said she would not be able to stay there for the night.

Former sailor Bob Coster, 77, lives close to the corner of Belt Road and St Aubyn Street and said the tornado sounded like naval guns firing.

"I was sitting just about to have my tea when it went bang ... It sounded like one of our guns going off in the ship [in the navy], exactly what it was like - bang."

Bob says it was a miracle no one was hurt.

"She said the roof's leaking and she couldn't say that there isn't a roof ... half the roof is gone - so it's just got blown over, it's over next-door on a heap of cars."

"I was sitting inside and you could see something coming. The trees, the leaves were swirling and twirling and I just heard this big rumble and tried to find cover and then I just heard this big bang and it was gone."

A tornado also hit at Ohope in the Bay of Plenty, with damage to the Surf & Sand venue described as 'substantial', although nobody was hurt.