Cyclone Gabrielle

The storm is now classified as a category 2 cyclone, it could hit almost anywhere in the North Island – from Auckland to Wellington.

Gabrielle is still expected to move southeastward & likely to start impacting the upper North Island from Sunday.— MetService (@MetService) that’s a flooding risk.” So far, no cyclone warning has been issued for Norfolk Island. Northland might see severe gales and a warning amount of rain on Sunday, but the cyclone is expected to approach the North Island on Monday. The rain, he said, could exacerbate conditions in the already wet upper North Island and could lead to slips. A projection published by Niwa on Thursday morning showed Gabrielle could hit almost anywhere in the North Island – including Auckland and Wellington. It is expected to reach category 3 by Friday morning and hit Aotearoa on Monday where it is expected to affect the central and upper North Island, MetService says. [Potential cyclone on track to hit North Island will form a day sooner](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300800855/potential-cyclone-on-track-to-hit-north-island-will-form-a-day-sooner?rm=a) [help Auckland Council](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300803039/watch-live-aucklanders-encouraged-to-get-ready-for-cyclone-gabrielle) clear flood waste from kerb sides around Auckland and the existing state of emergency in the [Thames-Coromandel District](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/weather-news/300802857/coromandel-extends-state-of-emergency-as-cyclone-gabrielle-approaches) has been extended. - Gabrielle is forecast to hit the upper North Island on Monday. [Cyclone Gabrielle](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300801825/tropical-cyclone-gabrielle-set-to-barrel-toward-new-zealand) is expected to bring “significant severe weather” to the already soggy city. - Cyclone Gabrielle upgraded to a category 2 storm on Thursday morning and is expected to reach category 3 by Friday morning.

MetService now has "high confidence" there will be severe gales and heavy rain for much of the North Island early next week.

"There is moderate confidence that warning amounts of rain will affect Wairarapa, the Tararua Range and eastern Marlborough on Tuesday. Low confidence of warning amounts rain for the remainder of Waikato, Waitomo, Taumarunui, Taupo and northern Taranaki on Tuesday. Current outlooks suggest the system will lie close to the Far North on Monday.

A New Zealand forecaster has branded the impending cyclone set to hit the top of the North Island as one of the “most serious storms of the century”. Howev.

The high tides are peaking at about one o’clock on Sunday and Monday. Easterly winds are expected to pick up about northern parts of the North Island during the weekend and Gabrielle is likely to approach the North Island on Monday, moving onto northern parts of the Island on Tuesday. MetService is expecting the cyclone to bring severe weather to the upper North Island from Sunday through to Wednesday, with waves of up to 8m slamming into the coastline at the top of the North Island and Coromandel on Monday night. Auckland Emergency Management will give an update at 1pm. ”In the meantime, it’s a good idea to use the break in the weather to prepare for the event, stock up on essentials and meds, including gas and batteries.” Niwa, MetService and Weather Watch have today announced the path of the storm is likely to make landfall in the north of the country on Monday or Tuesday bringing winds of up to 150km/h and up to 300mm of rain.

"This will likely be the most serious storm to impact New Zealand this century."

The storm is now a category 2 cyclone, and Cyclone Gabrielle could hit almost anywhere in the North Island – from Auckland to Wellington.

Gabrielle is still expected to move southeastward & likely to start impacting the upper North Island from Sunday.— MetService (@MetService) that’s a flooding risk.” So far, no cyclone warning has been issued for Norfolk Island. Northland might see severe gales and a warning amount of rain on Sunday, but the cyclone is expected to approach the North Island on Monday. The rain, he said, could exacerbate conditions in the already wet upper North Island and could lead to slips. A projection published by Niwa on Thursday morning showed Gabrielle could hit almost anywhere in the North Island – including Auckland and Wellington. It is expected to reach category 3 by Friday morning and hit Aotearoa on Monday where it is expected to affect the central and upper North Island, MetService says. [Potential cyclone on track to hit North Island will form a day sooner](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300800855/potential-cyclone-on-track-to-hit-north-island-will-form-a-day-sooner?rm=a) [help Auckland Council](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300803039/watch-live-aucklanders-encouraged-to-get-ready-for-cyclone-gabrielle) clear flood waste from kerb sides around Auckland and the existing state of emergency in the [Thames-Coromandel District](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/weather-news/300802857/coromandel-extends-state-of-emergency-as-cyclone-gabrielle-approaches) has been extended. - Gabrielle is forecast to hit the upper North Island on Monday. [Cyclone Gabrielle](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300801825/tropical-cyclone-gabrielle-set-to-barrel-toward-new-zealand) is expected to bring “significant severe weather” to the already soggy city. - Cyclone Gabrielle upgraded to a category 2 storm on Thursday morning and is expected to reach category 3 by Friday morning.

Cyclones are natural features of the tropical atmosphere – about nine usually form each November-to-April season in our basin - the Southwest Pacific – and warm ...

“But in a basic sense, having more ocean warmth means more evaporation into the atmosphere and more moisture for the system to take in,” he said. At the same time, marine heatwaves around New Zealand – driven by a stew of ocean and atmospheric factors - have been increasing in frequency. Current marine heatwave conditions around New Zealand happened to be some of the worst observed anywhere on the planet – and likely contributed to last month’s big deluges in the upper North Island, “Then, if it tracks west or east of the top of the North Island – such as into the eastern Tasman Sea – it’s headed straight into a marine heatwave.” “Waters in the Coral Sea – and not just at the surface, but also at depth, which is the important bit for tropical cyclone formation – have also been exhibiting marine heatwave conditions at times as well,” Noll said. “Over the wider Western Pacific Warm Pool, we’ve been seeing sea temperature anomalies of 2C to 4C at 150m depth, which is tremendous, and spread over a large geographical area.”

Director of Civil Defence Emergency Management Gary Knowles said although Kiwis have a sound understanding and awareness of natural disasters and their impacts, ...

Residents in the upper North Island are being urged to prepare as another cyclone heads towards Aotearoa, and Thames-Coromandel extends its state of ...

There is the potential for severe weather in northern areas from Sunday onward. This should be a place where there are no windows, skylights, or glass doors. Identify a safe place in your home to gather during a thunderstorm. Work out what supplies you might need and make a plan. "I have signed an extension to the declaration of emergency this morning, which extends it for another ... They can cause damage and injury. ["It is really Monday into Tuesday that are looking like the biggest impacts around the North Island will be seen" - Lewis Ferris duration 3:49](/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018876988/cyclone-gabrielle-could-affect-northland-auckland) ["It is really Monday into Tuesday that are looking like the biggest impacts around the North Island will be seen" - Lewis Ferris](/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018876988/cyclone-gabrielle-could-affect-northland-auckland) The cyclone would likely cause severe weather in the North Island, but it was not yet possible to forecast "the exact intensity of that severe weather", he said. Regularly inspect and trim trees and shrubbery. ["It's early days to see where are things are going" - Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo duration 3:18](/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018876998/whangarei-mayor-on-cyclone-gabrielle) ["It's early days to see where are things are going" - Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo](/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018876998/whangarei-mayor-on-cyclone-gabrielle) In coastal areas of Northland, where the high tides on Sunday and Monday are about 1am and 1pm, people in known flooding areas should be prepared for a tidal surge at the same time as a storm. [path of Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle was uncertain](https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/483899/uncertainty-clouds-path-of-newly-named-tropical-cyclone-gabrielle) at this stage, but the severe weather was likely to start on Sunday and go through until Tuesday.

People are being urged to have emergency supplies ready, with heavy rain and huge waves set to hammer the North Island.

Gabrielle is still expected to move southeastward & likely to start impacting the upper North Island from Sunday.— MetService (@MetService) that’s a flooding risk.” So far, no cyclone warning has been issued for Norfolk Island. Northland might see severe gales and a warning amount of rain on Sunday, but the cyclone is expected to approach the North Island on Monday. The rain, he said, could exacerbate conditions in the already wet upper North Island and could lead to slips. [additional evacuation shelters](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300803039/16-more-evacuation-centres-to-open-in-auckland-as-cyclone-gabrielle-descends) for Aucklanders as [Cyclone Gabrielle](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300801825/tropical-cyclone-gabrielle-set-to-barrel-toward-new-zealand) is expected to bring “significant severe weather” to the already upper North Island. It is expected to reach category 3 by Friday morning and hit Aotearoa on Monday where it is expected to affect the central and upper North Island, MetService says. ”Auckland authorities are concerned about the risk to people’s health from contaminated waste in and around people’s homes, and there is concern that with the more severe weather forecast that waterways could be potentially contaminated with kerb-side waste.” [Potential cyclone on track to hit North Island will form a day sooner](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300800855/potential-cyclone-on-track-to-hit-north-island-will-form-a-day-sooner?rm=a) A strong wind watch is also in force for Northland and Auckland north of Whangaparāoa from 6am Sunday to midnight Tuesday. Rain and wind watches have been issued for the top of the North Island as - Gabrielle is forecast to hit the upper North Island on Monday.

Weather authorities keeping a close eye on Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle says it is looking more likely that New Zealand will be directly affected.

"We expect the path to be locked in by Friday... Once the path is locked in, severe weather warnings are most likely." Peak damaging winds and heaviest rain expected across Monday and into Tuesday. - Monday - The centre of the cyclone moves in to northern NZ late in the day and overnight. "This hasn't been the case in the global modelling for nearly three days now, but that would be the main area forecasters would be looking at for any changes to the current NZ forecast and tracking. "This is an extremely concerning set-up and all North Islanders - and some in the South Island - need to be well aware of this storm's path and potential severe weather. - Tuesday - The cyclone moves down the North Island - Rain: 200 to 300mm, with some ranges in the North Island potentially in the 300mm+ range. "Just as Gabrielle reaches northern NZ it's expected to encounter higher air pressure to our east - this acts like an invisible brick wall in the sky and that is expected to then curve the cyclone due-south and directly into the upper North Island. "The South Island isn't immune either - the upper South Island has a chance of heavy rain around Kaikoura and gales." "If this current modelling comes true, this will likely be the most serious storm to impact New Zealand this century - especially with Auckland being in the mix for a potential direct hit. "Whilst no official warnings are yet locked in this far in advance, the data this morning means the likelihood of severe weather across much of the North Island looks highly likely," says a spokesperson for the weather organisation.

Auckland Emergency Management is working closely with MetService, the Mayor's Office, Auckland Council and our partner agencies to ensure the region is as ...

The GetReady website is a great resource for people to check out, with lots of information and tips for how people can prepare for a storm. We understand that access to some of these locations may be blocked depending on when and how the storm hits. This weather system is expected to bring strong winds, heavy rain, and very large waves to parts of the North Island. We expect to know more on Friday and will provide updates accordingly. Not to mention the hard mahi being that's being done by community organisations, sporting groups, marae and other individuals all across the region,” says Rachel. “Finally, I want to acknowledge the truly amazing work being done across Tāmaki Makaurau by volunteer groups.