‘Something forming’: MetService monitoring the possibility of another cyclone heading NZ’s way after Hale

MetService is monitoring whether New Zealand will be hit by another cyclone next week.

Weather forecasting models are predicting a storm to form in the tropics over the weekend and possibly move towards the North Island further east, or missing landfall altogether.

MetService’s Alwyn Bakker said there was an indication of something forming but it was too early to say anything with certainty.

”We are monitoring it and if necessary we will issue warnings but currently there are no existing tropical cyclones so we are not looking at it,” Bakker said.

“If it does become important we will let the public know. Right now the focus is on the cyclone we do have.”

Bakker said it was still too far out to make any meaningful forecast as to where the cyclone may hit.

Former tropical cyclone - which has brought much misery to the Coromandel Peninsula just days after an earlier storm saw roads awash and holidays ruined has been called a “one-in-20-year event”.

Thames Coromandel District Council said fresh off a briefing with MetService and Waikato Regional Council, its emergency management team had been advised that 400mm of rain was now forecast to fall for the event through to 10pm, meaning ex-Cyclone Hale would likely be a one-in-20-year storm event.

“While the cyclone is set to begin easing off tonight and through tomorrow, our catchments are struggling to cope so expect widespread surface flooding, slips, storm surge, and road closures to continue,” said the council this afternoon.

There are power outages reported in Kōpū, Ōpoutere, Whenuakite, Hot Water Beach, Whitianga and Waiau, with more than 500 households affected.

Auckland’s north and Northland have been hit by nearly a month’s worth of rain in the past 24 hours as ex-Cyclone Hale strikes, MetService says.

Some Gisborne residents are being told to “prepare to evacuate” with conditions being described as being worse than Cyclone Bola.

A rain model is showing that the Hikuwai River could peak at 13.5m at 10pm tonight, exceeding Cyclone Bola levels.

Residents in low-lying areas near the Hikuwai River in Uawa have been asked by the Gisborne District Council to prepare to evacuate and farmers encouraged to move their stock to higher ground.