Some coastal Western Bay of Plenty residents are being advised to consider leaving home before Cyclone Vaianu arrives this weekend.
Community emergency hubs are being set up in parts of the district from 8am on Sunday for anyone who needs to ride out the storm away from home.
Vaianu is set to bring heavy rain and damaging winds to the Bay of Plenty on Sunday.
MetService has issued orange rain and wind warnings for the region west of Whakatāne, including Rotorua.
Between 2am and 4pm, forecasters predict 150 to 180mm of rain, particularly over the ranges, with peak intensities of 20-30mm/h.
The wind warning applies from 4am to 7pm, with a high chance of being upgraded to red.
Severe easterly gales are expected to switch to westerlies in the afternoon, with gusts up to 130km/h possible in exposed places.
Strong winds were likely to damage trees, powerlines and roofs, disrupting transport and possibly causing power outages and dangerous driving conditions, particularly for high-sided vehicles and motorcyclists.
Coromandel has a rare red warning for wind from 5am to 6pm Sunday, with gusts expected to reach 140km/h. The region is also under the orange rain warning.
The next weather update is due at 9pm on Friday.
MetService forecaster Heather Keats told Ryan Bridge TODAY the “very large, damaging weather system” was expected to “cross over the top of the Coromandel Peninsula, move over Bay of Plenty, come across Hawke’s Bay and flick out to the east”.
“Winds will be the biggest impact from the storm – it’s very fast – so it’ll race across on Sunday, but the worst weather will be felt on either side of the eye of the storm and last about 36 to 48 hours.”
Community emergency hubs will open across Western Bay of Plenty from 8am on Sunday for the day, with marae also preparing to support displaced people.
The Western Bay of Plenty District Council said people could ride out the storm in those places if they felt unsafe at home because of flooding, slips, power outages or other cyclone impacts.
People should bring food and water, medication, warm clothing and essential personal items.
The hubs were not set up for overnight stays, and people were encouraged to ask friends or whānau first.
Council emergency management controller Peter Watson said if Cyclone Vaianu passed over the district, there would be flooding and likely power outages, downed trees, slips and road closures.
Forecasts predicted coastal swells of 7m-plus for Waihī Beach and Pukehina, damaging winds, intense rainfall on already saturated land, and coastal inundation, particularly around high tide.
He encouraged coastal residents, especially in Waihī Beach, Pukehina and Maketū, to consider their weekend plans.
“If you live right along the coastline and don’t need to be there, it may be safer to make alternative arrangements with friends or whānau,” Watson said.
He also urged people to stay clear of beaches and coastal areas as conditions would be dangerous.
He said the system was fast-moving but forecast to deliver a “short but potentially devastating burst of weather”, so people were urged to prepare.
Watson said teams were checking known trouble spots, monitoring waterways, and reviewing stormwater and roading networks.
The council would activate its Emergency Operations Centre if conditions escalated.
Issues such as slips, downed trees and power lines, flooding or blocked drains could be reported to the council on 0800 926 732 or via the Antenno app.
Updates would be posted on the council’s Cyclone Vaianu Weather Event Hub, Facebook page and Antenno.
All Tauranga City Council public-facing facilities will be closed on Sunday, a council statement said.
These include libraries, Baycourt, the Cargo Shed, the Historic Village and Te Maunga transfer station.
All facilities operated by Bay Venues will also close on Sunday, including all pools, indoor court venues, community centres, halls, Clubfit gyms, Mercury Baypark, UoW Haumaru Sport & Recreation Centre and Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre.
All council parks and reserves with lockable gates will be closed to the public from Saturday afternoon until Monday morning.
Most public toilets and changing facilities outside these gated parks will remain open.
For flood-prone properties, the council said, sandbags could be organised through local hardware or garden supply stores.
These were not waterproof and were unlikely to stop water from entering a home, but could help redirect it.
“Please note: there is a bylaw that prohibits the removal of sand from our beaches and foreshores.”
NextSurf app founder and developer David Quinlan, who has surfed the Bay of Plenty coastline for 12 years, said he noticed the energy in the water starting to build on Thursday night.
He expected the swell would force Bay of Plenty beaches to close when it peaked around midday on Sunday.
Experienced surfers might be looking to get out on Saturday morning or after the cyclone had passed, he said, but might still struggle.
“It’s not the place for an inexperienced surfer this weekend.”
Surfer Charlie Rapson was out on Friday and said he had been enjoying the swell so far.
“It’s been good the last couple of days, but it’s starting to change. The wind is coming through a bit today.”
Another surfer described the conditions as scary and “more challenging” than he was used to.
Surf Life Saving NZ eastern region manager Chaz Gibbons‑Campbell said the incoming swell would create hazardous conditions across the region.
“It’s going to be pretty wild out there.”
He said it was expected to build from Saturday afternoon, reaching about 3m and pushing a large volume of water along the coastline.
Gibbons‑Campbell warned lifeguards may not be able to safely help people in the water.
He urged sightseers to stay clear of the shoreline, with storm surge expected to push waves right up to the dunes.
“There’ll be nowhere to run if you get caught out.”
His key message was to stay off the beach and out of the water for the next 48-72 hours.
“It’s not the time to test a new board or go thrill‑seeking. It’s going to be dangerous.”
The Ultimate Athlete event in Mount Maunganui this weekend has been postponed due to the swell.
Organisers said on Facebook they expected to confirm a new date soon.
Health New Zealand advised people to avoid swimming in rivers, streams, beaches and harbour areas for at least 48 hours after heavy rain, because of contamination from rural and urban run-off.
The Discovery Princess cruise ship will be riding out the storm in Auckland, after cancelling a planned stop in Tauranga on Saturday, a spokesperson confirmed.
Another cruise ship, the Norwegian Spirit, has also adjusted its schedule to avoid the Bay of Islands and Tauranga, instead travelling south to dock in Wellington on Sunday morning.
Around your home
During severe weather
Emergency: Call 111
Roading information: www.nzta.govt.nz
Power outages:
Powerco – powerco.co.nz
Weather forecasts: metservice.com
The National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) advises that in times of crisis or civil defence emergency, a battery-powered radio, or a car radio remain essential lifelines if power is out and other forms of communication are unavailable.
Tauranga & Western Bay