Eye on the storm GITA:
What you need to know
As Kiwis pick their kids up from school and make the commute home from work, Cyclone Gita is expected to make landfall across the country.
And with it, forecasters predict powerful swells of 7m, rapidly rising streams and rivers, flooding and winds of up to 150km/h.
Authorities in the Marlborough Sounds have told campers to abandon their positions to be safe, while schools in the Buller region will close.
West Coast leaders will decide this morning whether to declare a state of emergency.
The category 2 storm is forecast to reach the country by this afternoon, continuing through to tomorrow morning.
Gita is tracking southeast towards New Zealand while transforming into an extra-tropical cyclone and will move southeast across central New Zealand today.
People are being advised to secure property and items that may be blown away by the gales expected.
For the North Island, coastal areas from Raglan southwards to southern Wairarapa are most at risk, while for the South Island the risk of coastal inundation is greatest for areas from Buller and North Canterbury northwards, MetService said.
Last night heavy rain warnings were in place for Nelson, Buller, Marl- borough (including Kaikoura Coast), Wellington, Westland and the Canterbury High Country.
Strong wind warnings were in place for Taranaki, Taihape, Whanganui, Nelson and Buller, Marlborough, Westland and Canterbury.
Yesterday, Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter, Climate Change Minister James Shaw and Civil Defence Minister Kris Faafoi were updated on the progress of Gita at the MetService headquarters in Wellington.
West Coast Civil Defence had intended to make a call whether they would declare a state of emergency yesterday but had opted to make the decision this morning.
It advised people not to travel during the storm, and closed all local schools.
The Nelson and Tasman Civil Defence warned the power of Gita will be similar to that of ex-cyclone Fehi which battered and flooded several properties two weeks ago.
Those same properties are likely to be affected again.
The storm will also likely result in surface flooding on roads, making travel difficult, and high winds with the potential to topple trees.
Marlborough District Council communications manager Glyn Walters said the council was concerned for trampers and campers who might be relying on tents.
However, many campsites in the region have reported having full ac- commodation, or busier than normal bookings due to freedom campers seeking a populated safe haven.
“We are having more people come in because it is mainly the tourist trade now and they are running for cover,” a Motueka Top 10 Holiday Park spokeswoman said.
A spokeswoman for Marahau Beach Camp, near Abel Tasman National Park, said only a few campers had left because they were worried about the storm, while most were trying to find accommodation in cabins or at backpackers.
Meanwhile the Mountain Safety Council warned the storm was not to be underestimated, advising people to stay away from rivers and consider postponing outdoor activities.