Thousands of homes across Northland and Auckland are without power as the effects of Cyclone Gabrielle are felt across the top of the country. 
Gabrielle is already bringing steady rain and strong winds to northern areas and MetService warns there is plenty more on the way.
The storm has caused damage to properties in the Far North as wind gusts of up to 140kmh have been recorded in exposed places.
A gust of 140kmh was recorded at Cape Reinga this morning. People had been warned to expect gusts of 120-130kmh or “possibly more” in exposed places.
Northland police reported flooding has started to impact State Highway 1 over the Brynderwyn Hills.
They also stated trees were down across roads around the region, including SH10 in Kāeo, SH14 in Maunu, and across Ngunguru Rd in Whangārei.
Air New Zealand has cancelled several flights and services, including multiple long-haul international departures and all domestic services through the city tomorrow.
Speed restrictions have been placed on Auckland's Harbour Bridge, and residents in Coromandel and flood-prone Auckland areas are being told to consider evacuating early and avoid non-essential travel.
“Gabrielle has lost its tropical characteristics, this doesn’t mean it is weaker,” MetService said this morning.
“It will be a very intense system as it moves closer to our shores in the coming days. Widespread severe weather is forecast with the worst expected on Monday/Tuesday.”
A red heavy rain warning has been issued for Coromandel, Gisborne north of Tolaga Bay, and Auckland, including Great Barrier Island and other islands in the Hauraki Gulf from Sunday to Tuesday. Northland has a red warning in place until Tuesday.
An orange rain warning is in place for Gisborne from Tolaga Bay southwards, Wairarapa including the Tararua District, Eastern Marlborough south of Blenheim, including Kaikoura Coast, Bay of Plenty west of Whakatane, and Hawke's Bay (from Monday to Tuesday).
Strong wind warnings are also in place - including a red one for Coromandel Peninsula and Auckland (including Great Barrier Island and other islands in the Hauraki Gulf) until Tuesday.
MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris said some areas had already seen up to 10mm of rain in an hour.
Tairāwhiti and the Coromandel were set to be worst hit today with the most severe weather arriving at 3pm, Ferris said.
Civil Defence Northland said there had been no major flooding-related incidents overnight.
Earlier, winds cut power, brought down trees and blocked roads on Norfolk Island, halfway between New Zealand and Australia, but it appears to have been spared the worst.
Gabrielle has been downgraded to a Category 2 system, but forecasters warn it could still bring destructive winds and heavy rain. One resident said most of the properties on the island are not built to withstand severe cyclones.
Auckland and Coromandel
Rain has been falling overnight in Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty. The wettest part of the country around 7am was Waitakere, West Auckland.
The rain is forecast to get heavier, with severe gales also likely.
MetService says the amount of rain forecast for Coromandel Peninsula and northern Gisborne is expected to cause dangerous river conditions and significant flooding.
"There remains some uncertainty associated with the exact track of Cyclone Gabrielle. Changes may be made in following updates, and this may be upgraded to a red warning."
Auckland Transport is urging travellers to be extremely cautious. Executive general manager of safety Stacey van der Putten says although the worst weather is expected from Monday, Auckland is already feeling the cyclone's impacts.
Van der Putten is also encouraging Aucklanders to reconsider travelling on Monday and Tuesday.
The New Zealand Defence Force is expecting to be called out for evacuations.
Lieutenant Colonel Steve Fisher has been working with Auckland Emergency Management to prepare for evacuations around the North Island. He said roughly 100 Defence Force personnel are preparing for the cyclone response in Auckland, with more positioned outside the city.
"I think based on the last weather events we've seen, evacuations are likely. But the issue here is that the cyclone is largely unpredictable, so we need to be ready to move assets around the North Island based on where the greatest need is."
An Auckland firefighter was frustrated by the dire lack of staff as the region faced yet another major weather event.
Firefighters' union Auckland Secretary Martin Campbell said his station will have even fewer staff than they had during the floods two weeks ago, and the lack of firefighters will leave Aucklanders vulnerable.
"It's the worst-case scenario - we're here to protect the public, we're here to do a job. We are being prevented from being able to do that… it frustrates us immensely because we know the organisation can and should be being doing so much better."
Maritime New Zealand is warning boaties to stay out of the water when Cyclone Gabrielle hits the country. Spokesperson Michael-Paul Abbott said heavy rain can cause flooding which hides potential risks, and kayakers and stand-up paddleboarders should not be in the water.
He says bulk carriers, container ships, passenger ferries should have plans in place for such a weather event.
East Coast
East Coast residents are bracing for another onslaught of forestry slash as Cyclone Gabrielle arrives just weeks after Cyclone Hale.
Deputy Civil Defence Officer Nori Parata said her community was still recovering after slash blocked waterways and damaged properties during the previous cyclone.
She said slash was a lingering concern for the community, and expects Cyclone Gabrielle will undo all of the progress the town has made so far to clean up.
"Our beach has just been cleaned up and the waterways affected by the previous cyclone have been mostly cleared. We're probably expecting we'll be back in the same position after this event."
Parata said the Tolaga Bay community was digging deep to find the resolve to make it through yet another severe weather crisis.
- additional reporting NZ Herald
