Tens of Thousands Face the Night Without Power: New Zealand Braces for Cyclone Gabrielle

Surfers heads out into large waves and rough seas from Cyclone Gabrielle at Goat Island Marine Reserve in Auckland, New Zealand, on Feb. 13, 2023. Fiona Goodall/Getty Images

Residents of New Zealand’s North Island are bracing for heavy rains and winds as Cyclone Gabrielle moves south and closes in on the coast.

Local mayors across the island have declared local state of emergencies, particularly for the northernmost regions, with Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown warning residents that the worst was yet to come.