New Zealand braces for its most intense tropical cyclone since the 1990s

By Taylor Ward, Rob Shackelford and Allison Chinchar, CNN Meteorologists

Updated 3:27 PM EST, Fri February 10, 2023

CNN — 

New Zealand is bracing for its most intense tropical cyclone since the 1990s. Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle is heading toward the North Island just two weeks after the area was hit with record flooding.

On January 27th, 240 mm (9.44 inches) of rain fell in Auckland, the country’s largest city. That marked the most rainfall the city had ever seen in a day, and it was the equivalent of their entire summer’s worth of rain.

Now, a new threat is set to bring ferocious winds and devastating rains to Auckland and the North Island.

The New Zealand MetService is forecasting that Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle is likely to impact the northern parts of New Zealand on Sunday and continue through Tuesday.

“Those areas that are already vulnerable following last week’s weather are expected to see more rain, strong wind, heavy swells and coastal inundation which will exacerbate the situation,” said Lisa Murray, Head of Weather Communication at MetService. “If the cyclone continues on its current path towards the north of Aotearoa New Zealand, we can expect this to be an extreme weather event with widespread damage.”

Gabrielle is currently the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 140 kph (85 mph) as it churns over the Coral Sea, a few hundred kilometers off the Queensland coast of Australia. While it will likely weaken a little more before making landfall, the mountanous terrain can rapidly increase wind speeds and rainfall.

“This is the most intense tropical storm that we’ve seen threaten the northern part of New Zealand since the 1990s,” Philip Duncan, head forecaster at New Zealand-based Weather Watch, tells CNN.

While the storm may also lose its tropical characteristics and become a post-tropical system, it is not expected to lose its punch.

“We’re expecting 100 to 300 mm [of rainfall] for many parts of the North Island’s north and eastern sides, with even greater totals if Gabrielle stalls or slows down,” Duncan said. “This rain will cause more slips/landslides, road closures, flight cancellations and possibly damage more homes as we saw in January.”

Heavy rain watches have been issued for northern New Zealand starting on Sunday as Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle approaches with the threat of heavy rain and high wind gusts.

Another heavy rain watch has also been issued for the Coromandel Peninsula and for Gisborne, where rainfall totals of 200 mm to 400 mm or more are possible.

“The duration of the event and the amount of rain forecast is highly dependent on the track of Cyclone Gabrielle, and this Watch could be upgraded to an Orange or possibly Red warning in the coming days,” warns the New Zealand MetService.

High wind watches have also been issued for most of the North Island of New Zealand.

Winds are likely to gust over 100 kph (62 mph) and could reach 150 kph (93 mph) in the higher terrain and along the immediate coastline. Conditions are expected to begin deteriorating Sunday and the worst of the storm should impact the country from Monday into Tuesday, local time.

“Don’t forget a cyclone brings severe damaging wind as well as heavy rain and swell,” Murray said. “As the ground is already sodden, trees are more likely to topple, which could cause power outages.”

Along with wind and rain, there will also be heavy swells along the coastline for eastern areas and a storm surge of close to half a meter on top of that.

Tropical Cyclone Gita impacted the South Island in 2018, which was rare because of how far south it moved, according to Duncan. However, that storm only impacted around 100,000 to 150,000 people while Gabrielle poses a threat to around 2.5 million. Duncan says the last major cyclone event to affect northern New Zealand was during the 1996-97 cyclone season with Cyclones Fergus and Drena.

But how can they call on him (Jesus Christ) to save them unless they believe in him (Jesus Christ)? And how can they believe in him (Jesus Christ) if they have never heard about him (Jesus Christ)? And how can they hear about him (Jesus Christ) unless someone tells them?” —Romans 10:14

In His Service,

Night Watchman

Paul Rolland

Night Watchman Ministries

Make Your Decision for Christ NOW!!!!!!! Time is Up!!!!!!!

Jesus Christ’s Offer of Salvation:

The ABCs of Salvation through Jesus Christ (the Lamb)

A. Admit/Acknowledge/Accept that you are sinner. Ask God’s forgiveness and repent of your sins.

. . . “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23).

. . . “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10).

. . . “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8).

B. Believe Jesus is Lord. Believe that Jesus Christ is who He claimed to be; that He was both fully God and fully man and that we are saved through His death, burial, and resurrection. Put your trust in Him as your only hope of salvation. Become a son or daughter of God by receiving Christ.

. . . “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:15-17). For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13).

C. Call upon His name, Confess with your heart and with your lips that Jesus is your Lord and Savior.

. . . “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10).

. . . “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (John 1:8-10).

. . . “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (John 2:2).

. . . “In this was manifested the love of god toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.” (1 John 4:9, 14-15).

. . . “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” (Romans 5:8-10).

. . . “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23).

. . . “Jesus saith unto them, I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6).

. . . “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.” (Romans 1:16).

. . . “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts: 4:12).

. . . “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth for there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:4-6).

. . . “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:9).

. . . “But as many as received him, to them gave the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12).

True Church / Bride of Christ Spared from God’s Wrath:

 Romans 5:8-10. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

Romans 12:19. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 1:10. And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

1 Thessalonians 5:9. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

Romans 8:35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Jeremiah 30:7. Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.

Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.