The largest city in New Zealand, Auckland, is being warned to brace itself for more inclement weather as a system that might be “the most devastating storm to impact New Zealand this century” is expected to make landfall soon.
The warnings follow unprecedented rains that devastated Auckland less than two weeks prior, killing four people, causing severe floods and landslides, and costing hundreds of millions of dollars in clean-up costs.
The storm, known as Cyclone Gabrielle, is being tracked by MetService, the meteorological service, according to Auckland Emergency Management. Residents were advised to get in touch with any family members, relatives, or neighbors who could need assistance getting ready for the storm.
Currently in the Coral Sea, Gabrielle is expected to move south over the next three days and pass by the North Island on Monday before heading for Aoetearoa, New Zealand. Forecasters anticipated that it will bring severe gales, big waves, and storm surges to Auckland and the upper North Island.
According to WeatherWatch.co.nz, the cyclone will likely intensify this weekend into a Category 3 storm and make landfall in New Zealand between Sunday and Tuesday. Wind speeds in category 3 storms range from 119 to 157 kilometers per hour, with gusts as high as 224 kph.
Given Auckland’s anticipated direct strike, if the current modeling is accurate, this will probably be the worst storm to hit New Zealand this century, according to WeatherWatch.co.nz on Wednesday.
It also said that even if Auckland had not recently undergone significant floods, the predicted weather event would still be alarming.
Every year, about one cyclone affects New Zealand. But according to MetService, by the time a tropical storm reaches New Zealand, its structure and characteristics will have significantly changed, and it will almost probably be reclassified as an ex-tropical cyclone.
According to MetService, “re-classification as an ex-tropical cyclone does not necessarily suggest the system has deteriorated.”
