The country of New Zealand experiences several tornadoes a year.
A tornado refers to a violently rotating column of air that reaches the ground, which can be among the most destructive of all atmospheric phenomena. Each year, there are 7–10 damaging tornadoes that touch down in New Zealand, occurring mostly along the west coast of both islands. Tornadoes in New Zealand most often form from squall lines ahead of cold fronts, which have the potential to spawn mesocyclones capable of tornadogenesis. Tornadoes in the country are usually short-lived, narrow, and weak. However, the country's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) assessed the 1948 Frankton tornado as an EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, making it New Zealand's strongest known tornado. The 1948 tornado was also its most impactful, with 200 buildings damaged, as well as a rare deadly tornado in the country, with three deaths.
Most tornadoes in New Zealand fall within the EF0 to EF1 range, with wind speeds typically not exceeding 178 km/h. Occasional EF2 tornadoes are observed, but these are rare. The most severe tornado on record was an EF3, which struck Frankton, Hamilton in 1948.
The following is a chart showing New Zealand tornadoes by month or by time period.