A cyclone battered New Zealand's North Island on Sunday, cutting power to thousands of residents and forcing hundreds to evacuate, as officials warned conditions would worsen through the day.
Cyclone Vaianu brought destructive winds exceeding 130 kph, heavy rain, and large swells even before it was expected to make landfall in the afternoon, according to national weather provider MetService.
The cyclone has forced thousands of residents to evacuate and knocked out electricity to some 5,000 homes so far, with power restored to roughly 2,000, he said.
New Zealand Defence Force members and heavy equipment have also been deployed to assist with evacuations.
Authorities have placed several regions under emergency declarations and issued "red" level wind warnings on Saturday, which are reserved for only the most extreme weather events.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon warned on Friday the cyclone had the potential to be damaging and urged those in its path to prepare for impact.
The cyclone was tracking "more towards the fringes" of the North Island, sparing Auckland, which is the country's most populous city, from the worst conditions, Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell said.
But stronger winds and swells were still expected when it crossed the coast.
Mitchell warned the combination of the afternoon's high tide and large swells from the storm could trigger coastal inundation.
MetService said it had recorded wind gusts of over 130 kph in some areas and 24-hour rainfall totals of over 100 mm in the city of Whangarei.
Vaianu has conjured up memories of 2023's Cyclone Gabrielle, which killed 11 and displaced thousands in one of New Zealand's biggest natural disasters this century.
