MetService News Release
12 Apr 2017
Batten Down the Hatches for Cyclone Cook
MetService is advising New Zealanders to prepare for Cyclone Cook which is expected to make landfall in an area from
Coromandel Peninsula to Western Bay of Plenty around 6pm Thursday, travelling south through the North Island and is
expected to track over central New Zealand around midnight Thursday, then pass just east of Banks Peninsula around 6am
Friday, before continuing south.
Although fast-moving, Cyclone Cook will be destructive and MetService Expert Meteorologists have issued Severe Wind
Warnings for the whole of the North Island apart from Northland which is on a Severe Wind Watch. These warnings are in
addition to those for heavy rain and you can get the latest Severe Weather Warnings and Watches at http://info.metraweather.com/e/60812/AllWarnings/cnrd6j/525204793.
“Given the current track of Cyclone Cook, our concern is for Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty, Auckland and Waikato
where we are expecting wind gusts of 150km/h or more and heavy downpours of rain,” said Communications Meteorologist
Lisa Murray, “in addition, this system will also cause rain and damaging wind for the rest of the North Island as it
moves south, and will then impact eastern areas of the South Island.”
As Cyclone Cook approaches north-facing coastal areas from Northland to Hicks Bay, people should also prepare for large
swells which will contribute to coastal inundation and erosion.
Ms Murray warns, “This is an extreme weather event and people should not take this warning likely. Please consider
securing property, moving animals to safety, and cancelling or postponing travel where possible.”
People should be prepared in case of loss of power or becoming isolated due to road closure and are advised to listen to
their local Civil Defence for updates. Many places are already getting heavy rain from a Low and its preceding trough
which came from the Tasman Sea. Cyclone Cook is expected to arrive at the tail end of that rain, with little or no
reprieve in between.
“Soil is already saturated after last week’s rain event, so, add the rain from the Tasman Low and then the wind and rain
from Cyclone Cook and you have the ingredients for large scale damage such as fallen trees, landslips and rapidly-rising
rivers and streams.”
Latest track map for TC Cook based on 11/1800Z analysis. Note that all times on this chart are NZ local time.
ends