Red, orange wind and rain warnings across North Island as Cyclone Vaianu nears

Friday, 10 April 2026

Severe weather warnings are set to come into place this weekend as Cyclone Vaianu bears down on the country.

Coromandel and parts of the Bay of Plenty are expected to be the worst-affected, though no part of the North Island will escape unscathed, forecasters warn.

The first warnings will be in effect from late Saturday night in Northland, before Vaianu makes its way south.

Most of the rain and winds will hit on Sunday, reaching the upper South Island by early afternoon.

An orange heavy rain warning is in place for Northland about and south of Bay of Islands to Hokianga Harbour from 9pm Saturday.

Meanwhile Auckland, Great Barrier Island, Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty west of Whakatāne including Rotorua, and Gisborne/Tairawhiti north of Tolaga Bay are all under an orange heavy rain warning from the early hours of Sunday morning.

Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell says it will be a potentially significant and damaging storm, and Earth Sciences NZ predicted more than 200mm of rain could fall in some places across the upper North Island.

An orange strong wind warning is in place for Northland from 11pm Saturday until Sunday afternoon. Auckland, Waikato, Waitomo, Taupō, Taumarunui, Bay of Plenty and Rotorua, Gisborne/Tairāwhiti, Hawke's Bay, Taihape, Taranaki and Wanganui are all also under orange warnings which come into place overnight Saturday.

Aucklanders have been warned the Harbour Bridge might close due to strong winds.

'High winds create a risk that gusts of wind may blow vehicles into the bridge structure or the path of other vehicles,' the agency said in a statement on Friday afternoon.

'Drivers should expect the bridge may need to be fully closed if wind gusts get too high. It is also likely that there will be lane closures and reduced speed limits in place.'

If the bridge is closed, drivers will need to detour around State Highways 16 and 18, it said.

Several bus routes cross the bridge, which may mean delays if buses are detoured or cancelled.

FIFA World Cup qualifying matches due to be played in Hamilton on Sunday have been brought forward to Saturday to avoid the worst of it.

Officials said the decision was made to ensure the safety of participants and fans attending the games.

The Oceania semi-finals between the Football Ferns and Fiji and Papua New Guinea (PNG) and American Samoa were originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Hamilton.

They will now be played Saturday, with PNG playing American Samoa at midday and New Zealand playing Fiji at 4pm.

MetService spokesperson Heather Keats said gusts of 140 kph were expected to hit the Coromandel, but there was also very strong background wind to come.

'Vaianu is going to be remembered for its wind, for its dangerous sea conditions.'

'Clear your drains and gutters to prepare for heavy rain. Avoid low-lying areas and drive cautiously,' MetService warned.

'Threat to life from flying items and falling trees. Destructive winds will cause widespread damage including powerlines and roofs, with dangerous driving conditions and significant disruption to transport and power supply.'

Telecommunications provider Spark said it had extra crews ready to work through any power cuts or equipment damage 'as quickly as we safely can'.

'We've strategically placed portable satellite back-up options (including Starlink units) in key areas,' Spark said in a social media post adding they have also 'strategically positioned deployable Cell Towers on Wheels (COWs), and we can bring in extra satellite support if needed, to help restore coverage where it's most needed'.

Earth Sciences New Zealand said the Auckland region could see over a month's worth of rain in 12 hours. Principal scientist Chris Brandolino told Morning Report a tremendous amount of rain was forecast, and places in the Coromandel region could see about 200mm about the ranges.

Not even the South Island is spared, with a heavy rain watch in place for Marlborough Sounds, including northeastern areas north of Kaikōura.