Claim: Photograph shows a tornado striking the coastal city of New Plymouth in New Zealand.
Status: False.
Example: [Collected via e-mail, July 2007]
Origins: In early July 2007, several tornadoes struck the Taranaki region (on the west coast of the North Island) of
However, those sources quickly withdrew their use of the photo after discovering that it was a fabrication created by a local resident:
She said it was meant to be an in-house joke at her place of work. She created the image as a "bit of fun" and was surprised the news organisations did not check its authenticity. "It took two minutes to make and was so fudged it wasn't funny," the woman told the website
A New Plymouth woman has admitted creating the image of a tornado hitting
Last updated: 7 July 2007
Sources: