Tornado devastated New Zealand

Three people were killed and dozens were injured in a tornado swept across Auckland, New Zealand on 6 December.

The tornado is described as a 5 minute destruction. (Photo: Internet)

Three victims were killed while working at a school construction site on the western outskirts of New Zealand's largest city. The tornado swept for 5 minutes, knocking down a series of ancient trees, swirling many roofs, tossing many vehicles. A witness depicts a tornado like '5 minutes of destruction'.

After the whirlwind, many traffic routes were closed, flights were delayed. New Zealand authorities say many people are still trapped in collapsed buildings. Rescue work is underway.

While storms continued to cause flooding in western Auckland, some tornadoes also swept through the area but did not cause serious consequences like the tornado mentioned above. The New Zealand weather forecaster said it may be another big tornado will hit Auckland in the next few hours.

In May 2011, a tornado also swept through Uclen, killing seven people.