People have been warned to be prepared as Cyclone Fili makes its way to New Zealand from Tuesday, bringing with it heavy rain, gale-force winds and large swells.
The storm, which brought flooding and power outages to parts of New Caledonia, is due to reach Northland on Tuesday morning and spread down to the Hawke's Bay and Gisborne.
1News weather presenter Dan Corbett said rain is expected to batter Auckland and the Far North from Tuesday evening and into the early hours of Wednesday morning.
MetService has heavy rain warnings in place for several areas, including the Coromandel Peninsula, the Bay of Plenty and Rotorua.
Large waves are expected to affect northeast and eastern coasts, which could cause flooding and coastal erosion.
It comes just weeks after the Gisborne region was hit by intense flooding.
Up to 300mm of rain may accumulate over 24 hours as the storm spreads to Gisborne and the Hawke's Bay, MetService meteorologist Rob Kerr said.
Strong wind warnings are in place for Auckland, Great Barrier Island, the Coromandel and Gisborne.
Meanwhile, a cold front is likely to bring heavy rain to Fiordland and Westland on Monday and Tuesday before moving onto the North Island on Wednesday.
READ MORE: Heavy rain, wind warnings in place ahead of Cyclone Fili
Brace for impact
Meanwhile, Counties Energy is urging residents in Auckland to prepare for potential large-scale impact caused by the ex-tropical cyclone.
Counties Energy general manager of operations, Dale Carline, said in a media release on Monday that storm response teams will be on standby, and most planned shutdowns will be postponed Tuesday and Wednesday.
“Please start your storm preparations now to lessen the impact on the electricity network and on your loved ones,” he said.
“Take some simple steps now such as securing outdoor furniture and trampolines, and anything else that can become a projectile in high winds.”
Carline also advised people to store water if they rely on a pump; check in on their neighbours and those who are living alone; and ensure their smartphones and tablets are charged.
Information on power outages can be found on Counties Energy’s outage hub, website and Facebook page.
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