NZ Herald Headlines | Monday, March 31, 2026

Property in Te Aroha floods as river bursts following Cyclone Vaianu

Residents in Te Aroha battle the aftermath of Cyclone Vaianu as the overflowing river floods. Video / Supplied

High tide hits Mount Maunganui as residents and emergency services prepare for the worst

High tide hits Mount Maunganui as residents and emergency services prepare for the worst of Cyclone Vaianu. Video / Alyse Wright

NZ Herald Afternoon News Update | Cyclone Vaianu hits peak, infrastructure projects concern

NZ Herald Afternoon News Update | Cyclone Vaianu hits peak, infrastructure projects concern, call to reassess transport strategy. Video / NZ Herald

Widespread flooding isolates Thames township

SH25 into Thames has been cut off by flooding as Cyclone Vaianu moves across the North Island, with NZDF Unimogs deployed to the region. Video / NZ Herald

Small-town Ōhope seems deserted as Cyclone Vaianu encroaches

Small-town Ōhope seems deserted as Cyclone Vaianu encroaches. Video / NZ Herald

Hauraki District Mayor speaks to the public whilst out on volunteer firefighter call

Hauraki District Mayor Toby Adams sends a message to the public whilst out on a volunteer firefighter call this afternoon. Video / NZ Herald

High tide and storm surge hit Waihī Beach

The high tide and storm surge hit Waihī Beach. Video / Ashlee Tyrrell

Mark Mitchell and Mayor Wayne Brown deliver Cyclone Vaianu update

Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell and Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown deliver update on Cyclone Vaianu. Video / NZ Herald

Video from across the North Island shows early extent of Cyclone Vaianu damage

As Cyclone Vaianu continues to approach New Zealand, people are feeling the impacts from all over the North Island. Video / Supplied

MetService Severe Weather: April 12

MetService Severe Weather: April 12. Video / MetService

Wild video from Whakatāne shows heavy winds blowing as Cyclone Vaianu threatens

Wild video from Whakatāne shows heavy winds blowing as Cyclone Vaianu threatens. Video / Matthew Davidson

Footage shows rivers in Coromandel Peninsula beginning to rise as Cyclone Vaianu nears landfall

Coromandel Peninsula under red weather warning as Cyclone Vaianu approaches. Video / Supplied

Wild winds and coastal inundation in Whakatāne as Cyclone Vaianu intensifies

Conditions in Whakatāne expected to become life-threatening from early this afternoon as Cyclone Vaianu intensifies. Video / NZ Herald

Significant fire at restaurant at luxury Te Arai Links golf course

Firefighters work to put out a fire in Te Arai Links luxury golf course. Video / Supplied

Bay of Plenty residents prepare for Cyclone Vaianu to make landfall

Bay of Plenty under red warning along with Rotorua and Coromandel Peninsula as Cyclone Vaianu approaches. Video / Alyse Wright

Flooding at Thornton Beach near Whakatāne

Flooding at Thornton Beach near Whakatāne, where seawater is starting to flood the road. Video / Mike Scott

Power transformers exploding

Home security cameras capture two power transformers exploding early this morning in Tauranga.  Video / David Greig

Red warning extends to Bay of Plenty, Rotorua as Cyclone Vaianu approaches

MetService has issued red weather warnings for the Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty and Rotorua as Cyclone Vaianu approaches, effective until 8pm tonight. Video / Alyse Wright

Rising rivers and rough seas in Northland

Whangārei Falls and Ocean Beach on Sunday morning after Cyclone Vaianu passed through Northland overnight. Videos / Brodie Stone, Rachel Ward

Can we be 10x richer like Anthropic, with help from Claude?

Herald NOW Business Host Garth Bray talks AI and tech with Anthropic director Chris Liddell, Danu Abeysuriya from Rush Digital and Jonathan Good from Scentian Bio.

Mount Maunganui's main beach lashed by wind and rain as Cyclone Vaianu makes landfall

Mount Maunganui's main beach lashed by wind and rain as Cyclone Vaianu makes landfall. Video / Alyse Wright

NZ Herald Morning News Update | Cyclone Vaianu to make landfall, Pakistan hosts US/Iran negotiations

NZ Herald Morning News Update | Cyclone Vaianu to make landfall, no life-threatening call-outs so far, Pakistan hosts US-Iran negotiations. Video / NZ Herald

The back story of Whakaaria Mai

How American evangelist Billy Graham created the popular Māori Hymn, Whakaaria Mai. Video / Le Tourneau

North Island wakes to rain, gales and swells as cyclone nears

Cyclone Vaianu is set to make landfall today. Video / Metservice / NZ Herald

Animations show extent of Cyclone Vaianu

New animations show the extent of wind gusts, rain and coastal surges set to batter the North Island. Video / Earth Sciences New Zealand

MetService Severe Weather: April 11

MetService Severe Weather: April 11. Video / MetService

Watch: The moment Artemis II touched down on Earth and the crew was pulled to safety

Four astronauts have returned to Earth after becoming the first humans to fly to the moon in more than 50 years. Video / AFP

NZ Herald Afternoon Headlines | Saturday April 11, 2026

NZ Herald Afternoon Headlines | Saturday April 11, 2026. President Trump sends another warning to Iran. The Artemis II mission successfully touches down safely back on Earth.

Weather worsens as Cyclone Vaianu approaches north coast

Weather conditions are already deteriorating at the top of the country, ahead of the arrival of Cyclone Vaianu. Ōakura Bay, 60km south-east of Paihia. Video / Raewin Woodhouse

NZ Herald Morning Headlines | Saturday April 11, 2026

NZ Herald Morning Headlines | Saturday April 11, 2026. Wellington Zoo turns 120 years old this weekend, US VP JD Vance heads to Pakistan for US-Iran peace talks.

Minister Erica Stanford on Charlotte's Change

Stanford recalls the moment a survivor of abuse approached her at an event. Video / Mark Mitchell

Auckland school unlawfully used mum and son's medical file

A Human Rights Review Tribunal found the school misused confidential files causing harm and awarded $29,100 in damages. Video / Mike Scott

Mother shares how specialist care gave her son a better death

Wellington mum Angela Schleif lost two children to the same rare disease, 17 years apart. She says the difference between their deaths was night and day. Video / NZ Herald

The New Zealanders sitting in some of the world’s worst prisons

NZ Herald senior journalist Anna Leask has been looking into New Zealanders locked up overseas, she joins us today on The Front Page.

Supercars fans flock to Track to Town parade

Motorsports fans are revving to have Supercars back in Taupō, as a massive turnout for the Track to Town event showed. Video / Danielle Zollickhofer

A weekly commute without a car during a fuel crisis

Can you cut costs and increase convenience when your commute is on the other side of Auckland? Mitchell Hageman finds alternative ways to get to work without using the car.

NZ Herald Headlines | Friday April 10, 2026

Afternoon Headlines | Cyclone Vaianu set to hit the North Island and rising fuel prices impacting start-of-year costs for struggling families | Friday April 10, 2026

MetService Severe Weather: April 10

'The entire North Island is in the firing line, some more than others.' Video / MetService

How to pack a grab bag

A grab bag is a small backpack of essential items you can grab if you need to evacuate with little or no warning. Here's what live reporter Tyson Beckett has in hers.

'Deer in the headlights': National seeks help over Luxon media interviews | Ryan Bridge TODAY

Media Insider's Shayne Currie joins Herald NOW. Video / Ryan Bridge TODAY