Cyclone Gabriel has hit northern New Zealand. About 46,000 houses have become without electricity. Heavy rains and stormy winds caused by the cyclone caused air traffic to be suspended in the country on Monday. BBC news.

Cyclone Gabriela has caused gusts, heavy rains and high tides in New Zealand.

Cyclone Gabriella is beginning to affect the largest city of Auckland, the North Island and surrounding areas. Cyclone Gabriel concentrated in Australia’s Tasman Sea near the Norfolk Islands last Saturday night. The cyclone is currently located near northern New Zealand.

According to meteorologists, Gabriela may hit the coast of New Zealand on Monday evening local time or early Tuesday morning. A state of emergency has been declared in some areas as Gabriel nears the North Island.

‘Hurricane Gabriel’ comes weeks after four people were killed in floods caused by record rainfall in Auckland and surrounding areas. New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said that a natural disaster has occurred behind one.

Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty told a press briefing on Monday that the government was considering declaring a national emergency for the third time in the country’s history. He also said that the cyclone is very dangerous due to strong winds and heavy rains.

A state of emergency has already been declared in five northern regions, including Auckland. The announcement will help local authorities deal with dangerous situations.

New Zealand’s MetService said 100.5 mm (4 inches) of rain had fallen in Whangarei, a city north of Auckland, in the past 12 hours. Wind gusts were 159 kilometers per hour (100 mph) in Auckland’s coastal area at the time.

It could take days to restore the power grid, McAnulty warned. Because it is ‘unsafe’ to work there due to bad weather.

Meteorological officials had earlier said Gabriel had weakened in intensity. But MetService said in its latest update today, Monday, that it’s still going strong. The impact has already caused trees to fall, roads to be damaged and power lines to break.

Many schools and local government facilities across Auckland and the North Island have been closed and 509 flight cancellations have already been announced.

Source: BBC.