Thousands of people were left in a blackout and flights were grounded in New Zealand on Monday as the north of the country was lashed by a tropical storm called “Gabrielle”.
Emergency management minister Kieran McAnulty called it a “critical day” because of a “highly dangerous” combination of heavy rain and high winds.
Compared to its previous cyclone status, the storm weakened. However, it still uprooted trees, downed power lines and damaged roads.
The government declared a state of emergency in five regions of the north, which included Auckland.
Around 58,000 people in the North Island of New Zealand are without power. According to officials, it could take days for power restoration.
“As long as the weather continues to be as severe as it is, it’s actually unsafe,” to work on the network, stated McAnulty.
The weather has reportedly created chaos on New Zealand’s travel network. Scheduled flights, trains and buses have ground to a halt, as winds of up to 140 kilometres (87 miles) per hour battered the Northland region. As per AFP, Auckland’s harbour bridge was jolted by gusts of around 110 kph.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, who was among thousands stuck in Auckland after the storm grounded flights, has called upon people to “be prepared, stay inside if you can”.
The largest city of New Zealand, which is home to 1.6 million people, is still on the path of recovery after four died in flash floods last month and thousands were forced to leave their homes.
On Saturday night, Cyclone Gabrielle swept past the Australian territory of Norfolk Island in the Tasman Sea.
It is currently present in the north of New Zealand, as rain and winds are expected to intensify.
On Monday, Deputy Controller Auckland Emergency Management Rachel Kelleher said, “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. Now is not the time for complacency.”
Meanwhile, the government has closed schools and local government facilities in Auckland and the upper North Island and appealed to people to avoid travelling if possible,
McAnulty stated that the government is also mulling declaring a national state of emergency for the third time in the history of the country “but we may not have to”.
(With inputs from agencies)
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