Cyclone Gabrielle
No bottled water was in sight at Countdown in Mount Roskill late yesterday as people prepare for Cyclone Gabrielle.
People have been warned by officials to have three-days worth of supplies as power and water outages were possible.
Severe weather warnings are in place for the North Island with Cyclone Gabrielle due to arrive in the region today.
Rain has been falling overnight in Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty.
The wettest part of the country currently is Waitākere in West Auckland.
The rain is forecast to get heavier today with severe gales also likely.
MetService said the amount of rain forecast for Coromandel Peninsula and northern Gisborne is expected to cause dangerous river conditions and significant flooding.
East Coast residents brace for impact
East coast residents are bracing for another onslaught of forestry slash as Cyclone Gabrielle arrives just weeks after Cyclone Hale.
MetService has issued a red warning for Gisborne north of Tolaga Bay, where up to 400 millimeters of rain is expected.
Deputy Civil Defence Officer Nori Parata said her community is still recovering after slash blocked waterways and damaged properties during the previous cyclone.
She said slash is a lingering concern for the community, and she expects Cyclone Gabrielle will undo all of the progress the town has made to clean up.
Parata said the Tolaga Bay community is digging deep to find the resolve to make it through yet another severe weather crisis.
Midwives on the storm-damaged Coromandel Peninsula are working to reduce the risk of babies being born on the side of the road, with the collapse of a key route to Thames and more torrential rain on the way.
Cyclone Gabrielle is expected to bring another round of road closures, with the already sodden region under a red heavy rain warning.
A massive slip left an abyss at the summit of State Highway 25A between Kopu and Hikuai last month, cutting the quickest link between Thames and towns like Whangamatā and Whitianga for the foreseeable future.
Northland declared a state of emergency for seven days starting from 4.30pm on Sunday.
Northland declared a state of emergency for seven days starting from 4.30pm on Sunday. Auckland is also in a state of emergency due to the threat posed by Cyclone Gabrielle. The entire North Island is under severe weather warnings, including red heavy rain warnings and orange strong wind warnings.
Fire and Emergency's Vaughan Mackereth said FENZ was bringing in specialist crews, medics, engineers, search and rescue, and more to prepare for Cyclone Gabrielle.
“Once the storm hits, stay off the roads if you can. That reduces your risk … don't drive or ride through floodwater. It's hard to judge the depth or see hidden objects.”
“Here’s how Orewa Beach is looking this morning”
RNZ reporter Lauren Crimp has been at an evacuation centre in Hastings, where residents are affected by flooding and power outages.
Scenes from Northland as Northpower deals with extensive damage causing power outages on its network.
Auckland Council rescheldules rubbish collection
Auckland Council hopes to resume rubbish collections on Wednesday but no bins will be emptied on Monday and Tuesday.
The Waitākere Transfer Station will continue to operate on both Monday 13 February and Tuesday 14 February unless severe winds make it too dangerous to stay open. Should this occur, the closure will be at relatively short notice, the council says.
If you need help and support during the emergency, please head to the Auckland Emergency Management website.
It also has the full updated list of Civil Defence Centres and shelters.
For a list of disruptions to the council's services and facilities, please see here.
