Cyclone Gabrielle lashes Auckland, homes evacuated, flights disrupted, power cut

A view of a slip near a house on a clifftop caused by continuous bad weather as Cyclone Gabrielle approaches in Auckland, New Zealand, February 12, 2023. AAP Image/David Rowland via REUTERS

WELLINGTON (Reuters) -Residents in New Zealand's largest city of Auckland and the surrounding area are being told to brace for more heavy rain, flooding and gale-force winds, and some homes are being evacuated, as Cyclone Gabrielle nears the country's coast.

Gabrielle, is currently sitting 200 km (125 miles) northeast of Auckland and is forecast to move close to the east coast over the next 24 hours.