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The effects of Cyclone Gabrielle already making themselves known, with power outages on Norfolk Island, which is located between the main island of Australia and New Zealand, before the arrival of a powerful cyclone today.
The powerful tropical cyclone Gabrielle was heading towards the Australian island of Norfolk on Saturday, with its 2,000 residents being warned to prepare for "destructive winds", large waves and heavy rain.
The first graphical forecast video shows Gabrielle's track, with the cyclone tracking across Northland before moving south towards Auckland, Coromandel, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Gisborne.
Cyclone Gabrielle threatens the remote Norfolk Islands with wind gusts of up to 155 kilometres per hour; authorities expect tree falls, power outages and damage to homes.
In an update on Saturday, MetService warned that a "very high risk of extreme and shock weather" exists over the upper North Island on Saturday night and then extends south into central New Zealand on Monday.
The Australian meteorological service also indicated on social networks that Cyclone Gabrielle will pass this afternoon through this small archipelago, about 1,500 kilometres northeast of Sydney, with wind gusts of up to 155 kilometres per hour.
Eric Hutchinson, the administrator of the Norfolk Islands -where more than 2,000 people reside, told the public channel ABC that they expect "power outages, falling trees and potential damage to the roofs of houses" due to the lash of "destructive winds".
Weather warnings in these cities
The highest red alerts for heavy rain have been issued for Coromandel city and Gisborne, north of Tolaga Bay. Cyclone Gabrielle Live Tracker Map on Windy.
Orange-level heavy rain warnings have been issued for Northland (through midnight Monday), Auckland including Great Barrier Island (3 am Sunday to 3 am Tuesday), and Gisborne south of Tolaga Bay.
Heavy rain advisories are in place for the Bay of Plenty and eastern Taupō (10 am Monday to 9 am Tuesday) and the Wairarapa, including Tararua District (noon Monday to noon Tuesday).
There are also orange high wind warnings for the Coromandel Peninsula (3 pm Sunday to 9 am Tuesday with wind gusts possibly exceeding 130km/h) and Auckland from Whangaparaoa southward (4 pm Sunday to 9 pm Tuesday). Tuesday with gusts also possibly higher than 130 km/h).
Additional orange high wind warnings are in place for Northland and Auckland north of Whangaparaoa, including Great Barrier Island (7 am Sunday to 9 pm Tuesday). Taupō and Taihape (9 am Monday to 9 am Tuesday with gusts possibly higher than 130 km/h).
A high wind warning is in effect for Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa including Tararua District, Taranaki, Whanganui, Manawatu, Horowhenua, Kapiti Coast, Wellington, Marlborough, Nelson, Buller north of Seddonville.
Important tourist destination
After passing through this Australian territory, Gabrielle, currently category 2 -out of a maximum of 5-, will head to the north of New Zealand, an area that is still recovering from the devastating floods that occurred at the end of January.
The Norfolk Islands made up of three islands and a major tourist destination was between the late 18th and early 19th centuries a penal settlement where "the worst convicts" of Australia, then a British colony, were sent until it was vacated as a result of A riot.
The cyclone is expected to reach New Zealand on Sunday evening, where it will bring heavy rains to the North Island, according to the country's Meteorological Service.
Emergency shelters have already been set up in Auckland, a city of 1.6 million people where a state of emergency is still in place after flooding two weeks ago.
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