CNN
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Schools across Auckland, New Zealand, will be closed on Monday as the island nation’s largest city prepares for the arrival of Hurricane Gabrielle, CNN Radio New Zealand affiliate CNN New Zealand reported on Sunday.
RNZ said more than 36 schools and universities will close despite no official order from the Department of Education, while the InterCity bus network will also reduce service.
According to the New Zealand MetService, strong winds were recorded over the North Island on Sunday, with some reaching 140 kph (87 mph).
“I don’t remember at any point in time when the entire North Island was under a wind gust warning,” said Lisa Murray, MetService’s head of Weather Communications.
“This is a vast weather system that affects the country. Extreme rain and winds are expected in many areas of the North Island, accompanied by intense rough seas along the north and east coasts, and significant high tides near and slightly before the storm’s center. ”
Meanwhile, with Gabrielle closed, Air New Zealand said it would cancel many long-haul international flights on Monday, as well as flights to Tasman and Pacific Island, and domestic services within and outside Auckland, Reuters reported.
In a press conference with local media on Sunday, New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins once again urged residents across Auckland to reduce non-essential travel, and urged those who can work. do so at home.
“We’re predicting severe weather is coming, so make sure you’re prepared, make sure you’re prepared, if you have to stay for a while,” Hipkins told reporters. time or if you have to evacuate.” .
On Saturday, Gabrielle moved into a post-tropical cyclone, meaning it has lost its tropical system features, but the latest forecasts from New Zealand’s MetService warn the storm is still causing “very high risk of extreme weather, having a major and unprecedented impact on many parts of the North Island from Sunday through Tuesday.”
The worst-affected areas are likely to experience 350-450 mm (13-18 inches of rain), gusts of 120-140 kph (75-87 mph), dangerous waves and coastal flooding, especially especially at high tide.
The MetService red warning for heavy rain remains in effect until Tuesday for Northland, Auckland, Tairawhiti Gisborne north of Tolaga Bay and Coromandel.
In Northland, a subtropical area on New Zealand’s North Island, a state of emergency was declared Sunday for the first seven-day period as part of a regional response to Gabrielle, according to a statement. reports from local authorities.
Northland has only experienced six states of emergency in the past 50 years, the statement added.
The Auckland Emergency Management Board warned the city was likely to experience strong winds on Sunday evening, with winds of up to 140 km/h (87 mph) or higher from Monday, Reuters reported.
“This is a really extreme and impactful event. People may lose power or become isolated. Listen to your local authorities and civil defense and know where your local evacuation center is,” advises Murray.
