A Taranaki couple had “a bit of a rude awakening” early this morning when a tornado tore part of their roof off.

Jody Thomas said she and her husband were in bed when they heard loud noises amid wild weather outside their home in Awatuna, South Taranaki, around 5.30am.

“There was very strong winds and loads of thunder and lightning going on – and lots of banging and really loud crashes,” Thomas said.

“We thought it was hail – but it must have been the roof disintegrating.

“It was a bit of a rude awakening.”

Soon after, their cat came into the bedroom in an unsettled state.

“I got up to calm her down, then I heard water dripping on to the carpet, which wasn’t a good sign.”

The tornado struck Jody Thomas' home at 5.30am - lifting part of its roof off. Photo / Jody Thomas

After discovering a leak along their hallway, the couple walked outside to see what had happened.

“We saw roofing iron on the ground and thought, okay, this is bigger than we thought.”

They also found a neighbour’s home across the road had been hit by the same tornado.

“We’ve got his roof metal in our garden – and our roof metal’s in the neighbour’s paddock.”

The twister also appeared to have ripped through trees in a nearby gully.

“Two picnic tables have disappeared down there, so they must have really flown a bit – and there’s gouges in the lawn where clearly something has hit and continued its journey.”

It was their first encounter with a tornado in their time living there.

“I mean, it’s a windy spot – but this is next level.”

A central fire communications shift manager told the Herald they received a call about a tornado just before 6am.

Two houses on the same street in Awatuna suffered damage to their properties. The homes, which stand opposite each other, both had their roofs at least partly lifted.

“It’s not what you want when you’re in the house,” the shift manager said.

Some of the damage the early-morning tornado caused to Jody Thomas' Awatuna property. Photo / Jody Thomas

The homes are located in a rural part of Awatuna and Fire and Emergency NZ services said they did not receive any other reports of damage at other local properties.

A car crash in nearby Ōkato, however, is thought to have happened around the same time the tornado struck, he said.

The vehicle hit a tree, authorities said. Again, no injuries were reported.

The Ōpunake Emergency Management Group issued a number of notices via social media informing locals of closed roads.

“Roads to Stratford from Awatuna Dairy Factory are closed because of tornado. The only road open is Skeet Road,” it said.

“We will update as we find out more. Stay safe and get in touch with us if you or someone you know needs assistance.”

There are no weather warnings over Taranaki at this stage.