floods
Tropical Storm Gabrielle hits New Zealand
A landslide has broken off near a house in Auckland, caused by persistent wet weather from Cyclone Gabrielle. photo
© David Rowland/AAP/dpa
At the end of January, four people were killed in a catastrophic flood in Auckland. Now extreme weather is moving over the island state again.
Just a few weeks after the devastating floods in New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland, the region was again hit by severe storms: Tropical cyclone “Gabrielle” hit the North Island on Monday with heavy rain and strong winds. The first foothills had already reached the Pacific state on Sunday. For the beginning of the week, meteorologists are now expecting “monster waves” and a “huge storm”, as the newspaper “New Zealand Herald” reported.
As a precaution, numerous flights were canceled in Auckland and other cities. Many trains also stood still. Most schools in Auckland and other cities also remained closed. Tens of thousands of homes were without power.
In towns like Whangarei in the Northland region and on the Coromandel Peninsula, residents have been urged to stay safe. “We still have the worst ahead of us,” said Roger Bell of New Zealand’s civil defense. In some cases, gusts of up to 160 kilometers per hour have already been measured, the meteorological service MetService tweeted. “Gabrielle” should also reach parts of the South Island during the day.
“We still have a few days of wild weather ahead of us,” said MetService expert Angus Hines. There have never been so many severe weather warnings of the highest level in such a short time. More flooding, power outages and road closures are expected through Tuesday.
At the end of January, four people died in a catastrophic flood in Auckland. Eyewitnesses spoke of the worst flooding they had ever experienced. Some parts of the airport in the metropolis with 1.6 million inhabitants were also under water.