A Category 3 tropical cyclone struck New Zealand North Island on Sunday, causing flooding and damage to infrastructure, although authorities were relieved that it avoided Auckland, the country’s largest city.
Cyclone Vaianu made landfall in the Bay of Plenty on the east coast, where many residents had already evacuated or were advised to stay away from dangerous sea conditions.
Areas in the Bay of Plenty and nearby Coromandel were hit by strong winds exceeding 130 kilometres per hour, which damaged homes, lifted roofs, and caused power outages affecting around 5,000 people.
Emergency services responded to hundreds of calls, but no injuries were reported initially. Weather officials from MetService had earlier warned that the cyclone could be a dangerous, life-threatening event as it moved south across the Pacific Ocean.
Several regions had declared states of emergency, but some, including Auckland, avoided the worst of the storm. Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell said the situation could have been much worse, as the cyclone shifted slightly east and reduced its expected intensity.
However, he warned that heavy rain and possible coastal flooding could continue in some areas throughout the day. The storm is expected to move across the eastern North Island and exit through Hawke’s Bay later on Sunday.
The cyclone is following a path similar to Cyclone Gabrielle, which hit the country three years ago, causing major damage, killing 11 people, and resulting in losses of about 8.5 billion US dollars.
