New Zealand braces for Cyclone Gita, state of emergency consideredMetService Latest MetService Severe Weather Warning VideoCyclone Gita could bring gales with gusts of over 150kmh and heavy rain to a vast swathe of the country when it hits on Tuesday evening, according to predictions. METSERVICE MetService's latest estimated tracking of Cyclone Gita puts the storm just off the West Coast at 1am Tuesday. RNZ Civil defence is warning people to prepare for power cuts, road closures and possible evacuation as Cyclone Gita approaches. "It's a South Island rain event that starts in the upper South Island Tuesday morning, and spreads across the rest of the upper and eastern South Island in the afternoon." Other local authorities around the South Island had also issued warnings ahead of Cyclone Gita.

Source: Stuff February 18, 2018 06:14 UTC