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People fill up sandbags at a public collection point in preparation for the arrival of Cyclone Gabrielle in Auckland, New Zealand, February 12, 2023. /Reuters
Twenty severe weather warnings and watches are in place as tropical Cyclone Gabrielle approaches New Zealand and is expected to swipe through most parts of the North Island from Sunday.
Auckland and many other places in the region were upgraded to red alert on the day as MetService, the country's meteorological service, warned that the worst weather is yet to come.
The government warned that many parts of the North Island, including the biggest and most populated city Auckland, might be impacted destructively and asked residents to prepare sandbags to buffer their homes, store food and water, and be ready for necessary evacuations in the coming days.
The Northland region has declared a state of emergency, local media reported on Sunday.
Many sandbag stations were set up across Auckland overnight, and locals were encouraged to prepare their own sandbags for extreme situations.
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins urged people to "take the severe weather warning seriously" and "stay at home, cancel all unnecessary travels."
Auckland mayor Wayne Brown added that "people need to prepare for the worst."
With Gabrielle closing in, Air New Zealand said it was cancelling multiple long-haul international fights on Monday, as well as Tasman and Pacific Island flights, and domestic services in and out of Auckland.
It is only two weeks after Auckland and the adjacent region Waikato were inundated by record downpours and floods.
Red warnings, only used for the most significant weather events, have now been issued twice in 2023.
(With input from agencies)
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Copyright © 2023 CGTN. 京ICP备16065310号
Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466