New Zealand braces for the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle with Prime Minister Chris Hipkins on Sunday (February 12) warning citizens to hunker down and prepare an evacuation plan. A report by the news agency AFP said that the cyclone is forecast to envelop the upper half of the North Island over 48 hours from Sunday evening.
Speaking to reporters, Prime Minister Hipkins said that everyone should be ready to face the threats posed by flooding, huge ocean swells, and strong winds.
“Our main message to people across the country is to please take the severe weather warning seriously and to make sure you’re prepared,” Hipkins said. He added that people should ensure they have their grab-and-go kits, and also ensure where they need to go in case they have to evacuate their homes.
Auckland city remains under a state of emergency as it faces another bout of heavy rainfall and severe winds, the AFP report said. On January 27, flash floods swamped Auckland resulting in four deaths and forcing thousands from their homes.
On Sunday morning, the MetService weather bureau measured wind gusts of up to 140 kilometres per hour (86 miles per hour) in northern New Zealand. The weather bureau said, “This system poses a very high risk of extreme, impactful, and unprecedented weather over many regions of the North Island from Sunday to Tuesday.”
Cyclone Gabrielle is also forecast to weaken slightly as it moves slowly south on Monday and Tuesday. Strong winds led to the closure of Auckland’s Harbour Bridge on Sunday, while most flights into and out of Auckland Airport on Monday had already been cancelled.
The report further said Gabrielle was downgraded from a tropical cyclone as it approached New Zealand. On Saturday night, the cyclone passed over Australia’s remote Norfolk Island. There were reports of downed trees and power cuts but no significant damage.
(With inputs from agencies)
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