Hit by Hurricane Gabrielle, New Zealand Declares a National Emergency

Illustration of a typhoon in Auckland, New Zealand. (Wikimedia/Commons Andym5855)

JAKARTA - New Zealand declared a national emergency for the third time in its history on Tuesday, when Cyclone Gabrielle caused widespread flooding, landslides and massive ocean waves, forcing evacuations and stranding people on rooftops.

"This has been a tough night for New Zealanders across the country, but especially in the upper North Island, many families are displaced, many homes are without power, the damage is extensive across the country," Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said.

Hurricane Gabrielle was 100 km (60 miles) east of Auckland, near the east coast of the country's North Island and is expected to move east-southeast, roughly parallel to the coast.

Kieran McAnulty, the emergency management minister, said while New Zealand was now experiencing its worst storm, more rain and strong winds were expected.

Emergency services have also struggled to cope after torrential rains and strong winds left tens of thousands of people without power, reported The National News.

The national emergency management agency estimated 58.000 people on the North Island were without power Monday as work continued to reconnect power.

"This is an unprecedented weather event that has had a major impact on a large part of the North Island," McAnulty said.

"This is a significant disaster with a real threat to the lives of New Zealanders," McAnulty said, adding that a national emergency would last seven days.

Meanwhile, bad weather will extend to the upper South Island as the typhoon moves, forecasters said.

Authorities have evacuated coastal settlements and are still asking people to leave their homes, as rivers continue to overflow and the tide rises. Roads were closed, cell phone service ground to a halt and several towns cut off.

PM Hipkins said it was too early to say how many people were displaced or injured. Other than that, there have been no confirmed deaths.

It is known, before the national emergency due to typhoons this time, New Zealand had previously declared a national emergency regarding the 2019 Christchurch mosque attack and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.