People in the Far North are being warned to prepare for wet and wild weather late tonight as Cyclone Hola approaches from the north-east.
Tropical Cyclone Hola as it is expected to look in the early hours of Monday morning. Photo: Niwa
The cyclone that caused severe damage in parts of Vanuatu and New Caledonia is set to make landfall here.
It has been downgraded from a category two storm to category one.
MetService has issued a severe weather warning for the northeast parts of the North Island ahead of Cyclone Hola's expected arrival late tonight.
Hola would bring gale force winds and heavy rain to northern and eastern parts of the North Island on Monday and the early hours of Tuesday, MetService forecast.
Flooding is possible for eastern areas from Northland to the Western Bay of Plenty, as well as Gisborne.
Heavy rain warnings are in place from early Monday morning for Northland, Great Barrier Island, Coromandel Peninsula and Gisborne.
The rain is expected to peak at 20 to 35 millimetres an hour.
Streams and rivers are likely to rise quickly while surface flooding and slips are also possible. Motorists are being told to drive carefully.
Strong winds will also develop from early Monday morning which could damage trees and powerlines.
Far North mayor John Carter said people should tie down any loose outdoor items.
"Just be prepared. Take anything that's likely to move off your deck, or around your section. Tie things down."
MetService meteorologist Amy Rossiter said Hola was fast-moving and should be leaving New Zealand on Tuesday.
"By tomorrow night, midnight, we're expecting it to ... be in the middle of Bay of Plenty, toward the East Cape and then into Tuesday it's moved away into the south-east ... and then it starts clearing up on Tuesday."
Civil Defence in Northland is urging people to clear their gutters, trim back overhanging branches, secure their outdoor furniture and trampolines, and make sure their boats are properly moored.
This graphic will give you some idea of the strength and direction of the winds over the country following #TCHola from today up until Thursday morning. Keep up to date with all the latest wind warnings and watches in force at https://t.co/qHyE5zhh6X. ^AB pic.twitter.com/RxPCWnPumj
— MetService (@MetService) March 10, 2018
NIWA announced last year alongside other agencies there was an above average risk for tropical cyclones to come close to New Zealand this season, due to La Nina weather conditions.
The average is about one ex-tropical cyclone a year.
