weather
Floods, power outages and hundreds evacuated as Cyclone Vaianu lashes New Zealand’s North Island
Cyclone crossed coast near Maketu peninsula, packing destructive winds exceeding 130km/h (80 mph), heavy rain and large swells
TL;DR
- Cyclone Vaianu made landfall on New Zealand's North Island with winds exceeding 130km/h.
- The cyclone caused floods, power outages affecting thousands, and forced hundreds of evacuations.
- Several regions were under emergency declarations with "red" level wind warnings.
- Coastal areas faced threats of inundation from high tides and large swells.
- Over 100 calls for assistance related to wind damage and flooding were received.
- Over 90 turboprop flights were cancelled by Air New Zealand.
- Conditions are expected to ease but the system is still considered life-threatening.