Tropical Cyclone Vaianu may bring life-threatening winds to New Zealand, forecasters warn | New Zealand
Tropical Cyclone Vaianu forming in the Pacific could bring life-threatening winds and heavy rain to New Zealand later this week, forecasters said, and high wind watches have been issued for the entire North Island.
The Category 3 cyclone is south of Fiji, heading towards New Zealand, with winds around the center reaching more than 150 km/h, MetService said on Wednesday.
While uncertainty remains about the cyclone’s path, MetService said it was increasingly likely to reach New Zealand on Sunday, bringing with it “damaging, potentially life-threatening winds”, heavy rains and dangerous coastal conditions.
MetService said the heaviest rain was expected in the north and east of the North Island, but the storm could affect much of New Zealand.
Meteorologist John Law said: “We still have a few days until we see the effects of Vaianu on New Zealand, so this is an early warning for significant weather this weekend.”
Severe weather watches are normally issued one to three days before a weather event, and the longer lead time for those watches is an indicator of the potential severity of the event, Law said.
The watch may be upgraded to a severe weather warning as the forecast becomes clearer.
The second severe tropical cyclone, named Maila, was upgraded to a category 5 system on Wednesday, with winds near the center reaching 215 km/h and gusts up to 295 km/h.
The cyclone was located in the Solomon Sea and was moving north of the Queensland coast. MetService said this would not affect New Zealand.
New Zealand has experienced many severe storms this year. In January, a series of tropical storms ravaged the North Island, bringing torrential rain and causing two deadly landslides. Storms across the country in February caused floods, landslides and power outages.
In 2023, tropical Cyclone Gabrielle was the worst storm to hit New Zealand this century, causing 11 deaths. global record It is stated that approximately 850,000 landslides have occurred, making it the most expensive weather-related event in the country’s history.
