A tropical cyclone forming in the Solomon Sea is due to hit New Zealand next week, just as holidaymakers begin to move around the country for Christmas.
It comes within days of the Auckland border lifting, allowing residents of the country’s biggest city to move freely around New Zealand for the first time in four months.
“There is the threat of bringing some significant weather to most of the North island – potentially some heavy rain, gale strong-force winds as well as heavy swells in the northeast direction.
The bad weather can cause landslides, flooding, cause power outages, and unpredictable swells at beaches.
“Definitely if you are planning a trip, keep an eye [weather forecasts] … you don’t want to be tramping in some of those areas, or camping, because there’s the potential for there to be quite a lot of rain and it could be quite dangerous as well.
With the most active part of the tropical cyclone season usually occurring from January to March, Malibuk said we can expect more weather events in the coming months.
The weather conditions associated with La Nina also meant tropical cyclones were more likely to form in this part of the world.
