Wellington, 12/2: New Zealand’s prime minister on Sunday warned residents to hunker down and prepare an evacuation plan as a cyclone began pummelling the northern tip of the country.
Cyclone Gabrielle is forecast to envelop the upper half of the North Island over a 48-hour period from Sunday evening, two weeks after parts of the same region experienced devastating flooding.
Auckland remains under a state of emergency after flash floods swamped the city on January 27, resulting in four deaths and forcing thousands from their homes.
Debris from that deluge remains on the streets of the country’s biggest city, which now faces another bout of heavy rainfall and severe winds