New Zealand Govt Warns People to Prepare for Cyclone Gabrielle

Sun Feb 12 2023
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Monitoring Desk

WELLINGTON: The New Zealand government has urged people to prepare for Cyclone Gabrielle after severe flooding hit the country’s largest city Auckland and claimed four lives two weeks ago.

Cyclone Gabrielle could cause severe weather in many parts of New Zealand, and the government stands ready to support vulnerable communities, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty said on Saturday.

“Cyclone Gabrielle is likely to hit across the North Island with severe gales and heavy rain forecast from Sunday to Tuesday,” McAnulty said. He said that this gives us time to plan and prepare, adding that this preparation is well underway.

Cyclone to cause severe weather in parts of New Zealand

McAnulty said that at the moment, it is difficult to predict exactly what course the cyclone will take; however, if the cyclone continues on its current path, it is likely to be a severe weather event impacting communities in Auckland, Northland and other regions in the North Island, he said. He called on New Zealanders to utilize the next few days to get ready.

The last round of record rainfall has caused huge flooding to houses and properties since January 27, with a state of emergency declared by the government.

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