New Zealand battens down as big storm approaches

WELLINGTON: New Zealand was bracing yesterday for a storm that meteorologists warned could be the worst for almost 50 years, with extreme weather alerts across the entire North Island.

The tropical depression, the tailend of ex- Cyclone Cook which hit New Caledonia this week, has already generated offshore winds of more than 170 kmh.

The official Metservice said it was expected to make landfall overnight yesterday, generating five metre swells, torrential rain and gale force winds.

It warned the storm could be the most intense since ex- Cyclone Giselle in 1968, which swept a ferry onto rocks in Wellington Harbour, killing 53 people. Cyclone Cook on Monday dumped heavy rain on New Caledonia, where four people were hurt when a tree fell on their car and power supplies were disrupted. Damage, however, was limited.

New Zealand emergency services pre- emptively evacuated some small coastal communities in the country’s north, and the military was assisting relief efforts.

“This is a very significant event and is likely to produce widespread flooding, ( land) slips and wind damage, including to powerlines, and may even lift roofs and bring down large trees,” Metservice said.

Many areas of the North Island are already sodden after the remnants of Australia’s Cyclone Debbie swept over last week and caused extensive flooding.