New Zealand: Numerous flights were canceled by New Zealand's national airline on Sunday as Aucklanders prepared for Cyclone Gabrielle's downpour, two weeks after a record-breaking storm submerged the country's largest city and claimed four lives.
All domestic flights to and from Auckland as well as many international flights, according to Air New Zealand, will be canceled through Tuesday midday. Although some international flights may need to be diverted through Auckland, the airline said some international routes would continue to run.
Additionally, the airline canceled domestic flights to and from Hamilton, Tauranga, and Taupo.
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On Sunday, Cyclone Gabrielle was already having an impact in northern New Zealand. Up to 10 inches (250 millimeters) of rain were predicted to fall on Auckland on Monday.
As the cyclone slowed, Gabrielle's windspeed was earlier downgraded. Wind gusts of approximately 130 km/h (80 mph) were anticipated.
MetService, a weather forecasting service, stated that it was anticipating a "widespread and significant" weather event with significant amounts of wind, rain, and waves.
Chris Hipkins, the prime minister of New Zealand, told reporters, "Please do take this seriously, we do expect severe weather is on the way." So make sure you're ready, please. Make sure you've made the necessary preparations in case you must remain in one place for an extended period of time or if you have to evacuate.”
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The cyclone earlier passed close to Norfolk Island, an Australian territory with 1,750 residents.
George Plant, the controller for Emergency Management Norfolk Island, announced the all-clear on Sunday. He claimed that some power lines were down and that there was some debris on the roads.
Plant posted on Facebook, "We have been extremely fortunate with the passage of the cyclone as the most destructive winds have just missed us." However, there is still a lot of cleanup to be done, and it might take some time to restore services like power.
Thousands of homes lost power as the cyclone made landfall in New Zealand's Northland region on Sunday due to flooding and strong winds.
The amount of rain that would typically fall over the course of the entire summer fell in one day two weeks ago, giving Aucklanders the opportunity to experience the wettest day ever recorded in the city.
Four people were killed by rapidly rising floodwaters, which also caused significant disruption and rendered hundreds of homes uninhabitable.