Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/WELLINGTON: Cyclone Gabrielle has knocked out power to 46,000 homes in the North of New Zealand.
Authorities have issued severe weather warnings, and hundreds of flights have been canceled. As Gabrielle approaches the North Island, some areas have declared a state of emergency. It comes just weeks after record rainfall in Auckland and surrounding areas caused floods and killed four people.
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced an NZ$11.5 million (£6 million; US$7.3 million) aid package.
Five northern regions, including Auckland, have already declared a state of emergency. The declaration empowers local governments to respond to dangerous situations by restricting travel and providing aid. Metservice in New Zealand reported that Whangarei, a city north of Auckland, had received 100.5mm (4 inches) of rain in the previous 12 hours.
Power outages; Critical day
McAnulty said that Monday would be a “critical day” because of the “hazardous” combination of high winds and heavy rain. Northland was battered by winds up to 140km/h (87mph), while gusts of 110km/h rocked Auckland Harbour Bridge. He warned that the power grid restoration could take days because the bad weather made it “unsafe” to work on the network.
Gabrielle’s intensity had been reduced earlier, but Metservice’s latest update on Monday said it would still carry “significant heavy rain and potentially damaging winds.” Even though the cyclone has yet to make landfall, it has already uprooted trees, damaged roads, and brought down power lines. Many local government facilities and schools in Auckland and the North Island have closed, and residents are advised not to travel as much as possible.
Meanwhile, the cancellation of 509 flights affected approximately 10,000 international Air New Zealand customers. Regular service is expected to resume on Tuesday, with the national carrier adding 11 additional domestic flights to its schedule to aid recovery efforts. The cyclone is the second major weather event to strike Auckland and the North Island in many weeks. According to authorities, the two critical events had strained the emergency and recovery response system.
