Authorities across New Zealand’s North Island issued mandatory evacuation orders Saturday for thousands of residents as Cyclone Vaianu approaches with potentially devastating force.
The powerful storm system is predicted to deliver torrential rainfall and sustained winds reaching 80 mph when it makes landfall Sunday, according to national weather officials. The cyclone is then projected to move past the isolated Chatham Islands by Monday.
Emergency declarations were activated across multiple regions Saturday, with mandatory evacuations issued for portions of Whakatane, a community of 37,150 located approximately 270 miles north of the capital city Wellington.
Local officials warned residents through social media to prepare for an extended displacement. “Residents should plan to be away for at least two days,” the Whakatane District Council announced on Facebook. The council cautioned that coastal communities face threats from landslides, dangerous storm surge, towering waves reaching 43 feet in height, and significant coastal flooding.
On Friday, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon emphasized the serious threat posed by the approaching weather system and called on citizens in the storm’s trajectory to take immediate protective measures.
“Make sure drains are free, check in on the neighbours, and be prepared for possible power cuts,” Luxon advised through social media.
The approaching cyclone has rekindled memories of the devastating Cyclone Gabrielle that struck in 2023, claiming 11 lives and forcing thousands from their homes in what became New Zealand’s most severe natural disaster of the century.
