Worst Of Cyclone Gabrielle To Affect The Country Today

Cyclone Gabrielle is bearing down on the North Island, and despite widespread damage and disruption last night and this morning, the worst weather is still to come for many regions today.

MetService forecasters, in collaboration with local councils and Civil Defence, continue to update the Severe Weather Warnings pertaining to ongoing heavy rain and severe gale strength wind.

“This is a major weather system and shouldn’t be taken lightly," explains meteorologist Angus Hines.

“We have a couple more days of wild weather ahead. We’ve never had such an extensive range of Red Severe Weather Warnings – which are the highest classification of Severe Weather Warning MetService can issue.”

Cyclone Gabrielle has been generating extremely strong wind about the upper North Island. Wind gusts have exceeded 130km/hr in parts of Auckland, and 150km/hr in exposed parts of Northland. Trees and powerlines have been damaged, as has people’s property, including rooves and outdoor furniture.

As Gabrielle moves southeast in the next 36 hours, the angle of the wind across the upper North Island will change as they wrap around the moving centre, but the wind speed stays very high.

Red Wind Warnings remain in force for Northland, Auckland, and the Coromandel Peninsula, and Taranaki’s Wind Warning has been upgraded to Red this morning. Orange Wind Warnings blanket all remaining North Island locations as well as the top half of the South Island, meaning wind damage is possible almost anywhere. There is expected to be a gradual easing to the wind late on Tuesday, and throughout Wednesday.

Once again, northern parts of the North Island will be drenched by persistent heavy rain. Red Rain Warnings are active for intense rainfall over Northland, Auckland, the Coromandel Peninsula, and the north of the Tairāwhiti/Gisborne area.

“All of these places have already dealt with immense rainfall this year, and lots of them are in clean up mode from recent flooding,” says Angus.

“Unfortunately, we expect further flooding, slips power outages, and road closures Monday and Tuesday, prolonging this unprecedented wet summer.”

Eastwards facing parts of the country – Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa, Marlborough and Kaikōura are all expected to get heavy rain as well and have Orange Rain Warnings in place with Gisborne on a Red Warning.

While Gabrielle has been affecting the atmosphere, it is also having a major impact on our oceans. Enormous waves are battering eastern coastlines of the North Island, which may wash onto coastal roads and property, particularly about high tide (early this afternoon for those areas). Conditions can get dangerous quickly, and people are advised to steer clear of beaches.

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