WELLINGTON Feb 12 (BNA): New Zealand’s national carrier canceled dozens of flights Sunday, as Aucklanders braced for a deluge from Hurricane Gabriel, two weeks after a record-breaking storm slammed into the country’s largest city and killed four people.
Air New Zealand said it had canceled all domestic flights to and from Auckland until midday on Tuesday as well as several international flights. The company said some international routes will continue to operate, although flights may need to transfer from Auckland.
The carrier also canceled domestic flights to and from the cities of Hamilton, Tauranga and Taupo, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Hurricane Gabriel was already affecting the northern part of New Zealand on Sunday. On Monday, up to 250 mm (10 in) of rain was expected in Auckland.
Gabriel’s earlier winds were downgraded as the hurricane slowed. Winds of 130 kilometers per hour (80 mph) were expected.
Meteorological forecaster Mtservis said it expected a “large-scale and significant” weather event with heavy rain, strong winds and large waves.
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hepkins told reporters, “Please take this seriously, we are expecting some severe weather on the way.” “So please make sure you are prepared. Make sure you have the preparations whether you have to stay for a while, or if you have to evacuate.”
Earlier, the hurricane passed near the remote Norfolk Island, an area in Australia that is home to about 1,750 people.
George Blunt, the Norfolk Island Emergency Management Superintendent, said Sunday that he had issued a release. He said there was some debris on the roads and some power lines were down.
“We were very lucky to pass the hurricane as we missed the most destructive winds,” Plante wrote on Facebook. “However, there is still a significant amount of clean-up to be done and it may take some time to restore services such as power.”
As the cyclone begins to batter New Zealand’s Northland region on Sunday, flooding and winds have closed some roads and thousands of homes have lost power.
Two weeks ago, Aucklanders experienced the city’s wettest day ever, beating the amount of rain that would normally fall during an entire summer in one day.
The rapidly rising flood waters killed four people, caused widespread disturbance and left hundreds of homes uninhabitable.
HF