New Zealand: In the upper North Island of New Zealand, around 58,000 houses are without power as Cyclone Gabrielle approaches and brings powerful gusts, copious rain, and enormous surf to Auckland and surrounding areas.
Although her most devastating gusts bypassed Norfolk Island, Gabrielle passed over the Australian territory in the Tasman Sea. It is now sitting just north of New Zealand, with weather forecasters expecting rain and winds to intensify as it nears land.
The size of Cyclone Gabrielle is clear in this video.
Since noon, we're recorded gusts of 150 – 160 km/h, and some stations in Gisborne have recorded rain rates of 15 – 30mm in a single hour. pic.twitter.com/1dZ1A4dxEU
— MetService (@MetService) February 13, 2023
“The impact of Gabrielle is still in its early stages and further serious and severe weather is still expected for Tamaki Makaurau (Auckland), later today into Tuesday morning,” remarked Ms. Rachel Kelleher, Deputy Controller Auckland Emergency Management.
People are being urged not to travel if at all possible as a result of the closure of numerous schools and local government offices in Auckland and the upper North Island. At least four additional regions, including Auckland, have declared states of emergency.
According to the meteorological agency Metservice, while winds of 159 KM/H (100 mph) were reported off the coast of Auckland in the past 12 hours, Whangarei, a city north of Auckland, received 100.5 MM of rain (4 inches).
Please continue to bear with us as we navigate the disruption #CycloneGabrielle has caused ? With over 500 flight cancellations impacting more than 29,000 customers, we’re doing everything we can to get those disrupted back into the skies as quickly as possible. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/nRr7UCT8QF
— Air New Zealand ✈️ (@FlyAirNZ) February 13, 2023
Around 58,000 houses were without electricity, as per Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty, and it could take some time for power to be restored. 150 personnel have been located by the New Zealand Defense Force in Auckland and the surrounding areas, and they are delivering humanitarian aid to shelters and civil defence facilities.
This cyclone is the second significant weather event to recently affect Auckland and the upper North Island. Four people were killed by floods and unprecedented rainfall that pounded Auckland and the neighbouring areas last month.
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