The destructive tornado which swept across Auckland's North Shore today killed one person, injured 20 others and left a trail of destruction from Albany to Glenfield.
Earlier reports had said as many as three people had died when the tornado, with winds of more than 200kmh hit, but police later said they could only confirm one death.
"Initial reports that there were two or three dead are incorrect and we can only confirm one death at the moment. We believe that to be accurate," said Inspector Gary Davey, Waitemata police area commander.
Auckland Mayor Len Brown later told Campbell Live a man in his 30s had died, while other reports said he was found in the Albany Mega Centre carpark.
St John Ambulance northern region operations manager Murray Holt said a triage centre was set up at Albany shortly after the tornado swept through.
Mr Holt said several people had critical injuries when they were transported by ambulance to various hospitals in the greater Auckland area.
People at the scene were dazed and shocked but didn't panic.
Witnesses said the tornado blasted through the Mega Centre with a roaring sound about 3pm and looked just like the destructive tornados which cut swathes across America's Midwest and South recently.
Hamish Blair, store manager at the Golf Warehouse adjacent to the Mega Centre, told NZPA the tornado came through Pak n' Save supermarket.
"We're on the other side of Pak n' Save. It came through and diverted across towards Farmers (department store) . It missed us luckily but we were able to get out and help.
"There were kids in a car which turned upside down and they had to get help.
"There's probably six or seven seriously damaged cars, and I saw cars flying off the ground about 30 metres in the air. They landed in car parks and some went through the old Placemaker's building."
The twister hit Albany, about 15km north of the Auckland Harbour Bridge, just before 3pm, ripping roofs off houses and commercial buildings in teh suburb's commercial centre, uprooting trees and turning cars and a campervan on their sides.
Roofing iron swept across the sky and came to rest against motorway fences and trees, often several hundred metres from where it started.
Inspector Barry Smalley, of police Northern Communications Centre, said the first calls about the tornado came through about 2.45pm from Albany.
"Its path was from there to the Chelsea Sugar Plant (about 12km to the south, in Birkenhead). We kept getting calls from 2.45pm to 3.30pm."
Mr Smalley said much of the damage was to roofs and trees, "but it's quite significant nonetheless".
He said police at one stage feared there were people trapped underneath sections of roof which had come down.
However, as fire and emergency services checked the damaged buildings, no other people were found.
Authorities closed only one road behind the Mega Centre but the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said it briefly considered closing the harbour bridge as the twister swept south from Albany. The bridge remained opened.
The carpark in the Mega Centre and the Westfield Mall a hundred metres or so to the east, were littered with debris, overturned cars and distraught and scared shoppers, office and shop workers.
Customers and staff were evacuated from Pak N Save after the tornado caused "significant damage”.
Foodstuffs Auckland property development general manager Angela Bull said the tornado damaged the roof but the extent was unconfirmed.
Police urged people to keep off the roads, take extreme care and to check their relatives, friends and neighbours.
Witnesses said debris was scattered over much of the area.
An evacuation centre was set up in the North Shore Event Centre where the Breakers basketball team made history last Friday when they beat the Cairns Taipans to win the Australian National Basketball League championship title.
Auckland Civil Defence said the emergency welfare centre would work with Work and Income, Victim Support and the Salvation Army.
Mayor Brown offered his condolences to relatives of the dead and injured and said he was shocked by the damage.
The Auckland Council's Building Control Department sent building inspectors to assess the damage to commercial buildings and homes.
The Fire Service said it received 74 calls for help and sent 17 fire trucks to secure loose roof debris and provide tarpaulins for numerous houses.
Weather warnings for Auckland were lifted several hours after the tornado hit but MetService said the bad weather was moving south.
The tornado disrupted numerous buses on the North Shore and some trains to west Auckland.
NZPA