New Zealand authorities are set to close down schools and cancel flights as the country's northern region is facing the threat of cyclone Gabrielle's powerful rain and winds.
On Monday, roughly 58,000 households in the nation's upper North Island were left without power due to the weather that affected Auckland and nearby regions. The storm system on Saturday night swept past Norfolk Island in the Tasman Sea, but fortunately, its most destructive winds missed the island.
Cyclone Gabrielle
Now, the cyclone is located a short distance north of New Zealand as weather forecasters predict rain and winds to increase in strength as it makes landfall on Monday and Tuesday. In a statement, Deputy Controller of Auckland Emergency Management Rachel Kelleher said that the storm's impact is still in its early stages. Further, profound and severe weather can be expected in the future.
During her Monday remarks, Kelleher said there was a better time to be complacent as the cyclone could blindside officials. Authorities have taken precautionary measures and have urged residents across Auckland and the upper North Island to avoid traveling outside. Officials have also placed states of emergency in Auckland and at least four other regions, as per Reuters.
Metservice said that Whangarei, a city found north of Auckland, has already received 100.5 millimeters of rain in the last 12 hours. The meteorological agency added that they recorded winds of 159 kilometers per hour off the coast of Auckland.
The Minister for Emergency Management, Kieran McAnulty, said that roughly 58,000 homes were still without power and noted that for some, it could take several days for electricity to be restored. He added that there had been a significant disruption in public transport with suspensions or reduced schedules among aircraft, ferries, buses, and trains.
In a statement, Air New Zealand noted that it would resume flying passengers from Tuesday after canceling 509 flights due to the threat of cyclone Gabrielle. The company also added 11 extra domestic flights to its schedule to recover from the canceled flights.
New Zealand Urges Residents To Prepare
Northpower said that roughly half of their network was damaged by the weather phenomenon, whose strength has not been seen since a cyclone in 1988. Furthermore, the New Zealand Defense Force has located staff across Auckland and other nearby regions to bring welfare supplies to civil defense centers and shelters, according to CNN.
Cyclone Gabrielle is the second significant weather event that has threatened Auckland and the upper North Island in the last few weeks. The city and nearby areas were hit last month by record rainfall that resulted in massive floods and the death of four people.
In a statement, Prime Minster Chris Hipkins, who was recently appointed following Jacinda Ardern's sudden resignation, said that the government's message to the people was to take the weather phenomenon seriously and prepare for the worst.
In a Facebook post, Norfolk Island's emergency management controller, George Plant, said that they were extremely fortunate when the cyclone passed because the most destructive winds did not hit them, said DW News.
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