Floods, power outages and hundreds evacuated as Cyclone Vaianu lashes New Zealand’s North Island

Cyclone crossed coast near Maketu peninsula, packing destructive winds exceeding 130km/h (80 mph), heavy rain and large swells

Cyclone Vaianu made landfall in https://www.theguardian.com/world/newzealand">New Zealand’s North Island on Sunday, triggering floods, power outages and https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/11/new-zealands-north-island-braces-for-cyclone-vaianu-with-thousands-ordered-to-evacuate">forcing hundreds to evacuate.

The cyclone crossed the coast near the Maketu peninsula, packing destructive winds exceeding 130km/h (80 mph), heavy rain and large swells, national weather provider MetService said, describing Vaianu as a “life-threatening” system.