The first of the warnings comes into effect tonight, with many more tomorrow, and wind watches for the lower North Island from Monday.
The agency now has 17 warnings or watches in place from Northland to Wellington - including the highest red warning for heavy rain for Coromandel (from 3am Sunday to 3am Tuesday) and Gisborne north of Tolaga Bay (from 3pm Sunday to 6am Tuesday).
Orange-level heavy rain warnings have been issued for Northland (9pm tonight to 9pm Sunday) and Auckland north of Whangaparaoa (3am to 10pm Sunday). Orange-level heavy rain watches have been issued for Auckland south of Whangaparaoa (6am Sunday to noon Tuesday); Gisborne south of Tolaga Bay (9am Monday to 9am Tuesday) and Hawke’s Bay (noon Monday to noon Tuesday).
Strong wind warnings have been issued for Northland, Auckland, Great Barrier Island and Coromandel, while strong wind watches have been issued for Bay of Plenty, Buller, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Kapiti-Horowhenua, Manawatu, Marlborough, Nelson, Rotorua, Taihape, Taranaki, Tararua, Taumarunui, Taupo, Waikato, Wairarapa, Waitomo, Whanganui, Wellington.
The wind watches apply from early on Sunday for northern areas and from Monday evening for Wellington and the lower North Island.
The warnings come as North Islanders are urged to make the most of today to clear gutters, lay sandbags and “calmly and wisely” prepare for the cyclone’s arrival.
Homes and roads could be damaged across the North Island as heavy downpours of up to 300mm and severe winds gusting 150kmh are tipped to hit. Rain is expected to start falling in many areas from tomorrow and last through until Tuesday afternoon.
Auckland, Northland and Coromandel residents can expect to feel Cyclone Gabrielle’s first effects from Sunday, with the most severe weather expected on Monday and Tuesday.
People are urged to stay off the water as storm surges and waves between 5m-and-7m are forecast for parts of the northern and eastern coastlines.
They are also asked to stock at least three days’ worth of medicine, water and food and to prepare for possible power and running water outages along with restricted travel conditions.
MetService warns parts of Gisborne could record 400mm of rain.
‘Prepare to leave if you need to’
Auckland Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson says Cyclone Gabrielle is drawing closer and is set to be an “impactful event”.
Speaking at today’s 1pm Auckland Emergency Management briefing, Simpson said people need to get ready with emergency supplies before tomorrow. “Prepare to leave if you need to,” she said.
Simpson said Mayor Wayne Brown had been with authorities in Mt Eden helping get the city ready.MetService will be providing a more detailed forecast tomorrow, but the advice so far would differ from the storm a fortnight ago.
Prepare for strong winds and big waves, she said. “There may be further power outages and we ask that you factor that into your preparation,” she said.
She urged people to check with their employers, schools and kura for their cyclone planning.
Adam Maggs, Controller at Auckland Emergency Management, said the agency had confirmed Civil Defence Centres (CDCs).
There is a CDC or shelter in every local board area across Auckland.
If your life was in danger or your home was flooded then get to a CDC or a shelter, Maggs said.
Pets could be brought to centres and shelters but dogs must be leashed and muzzled where possible and cats in a cage.
He said there was a strong desire from Aucklanders to protect their property with sandbags.
Maggs urged people to look for other ways to protect their property first, and Auckland Emergency Management was urgently working to supply bags and sand at three collection points in Mairangi Bay, St Heliers, and Westgate.
“Demand is significant,” he said.
He recommended people not take sand from the beach due to contamination.
MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris earlier said the cyclone would bring widespread severe weather.
The cyclone had taken a more eastern track over the last few days, but there was still disagreement over where the central point will lie when it made landfall, Ferris said.
The storm is due to track across Northland on Sunday before moving south to Auckland, Coromandel, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Gisborne on Monday and Tuesday. It is possible that even Wellington could see some impacts, MetService said.
Meanwhile, the government is urging people to avoid non-essential travel in areas that could be hit by Cyclone Gabrielle.
Air New Zealand is offering flight deferrals in affected areas, asking people to postpone air travel unless it was urgent.
Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty said safety trumped the disappointment of scrapping weekend plans.
"We would urge people, despite the inconvenience this would naturally cause, to heed that advice, because it is not given lightly. We are taking this very seriously. Depending on how this tracks it could be quite severe and we're just asking people to take it seriously."
Supermarkets have urged shoppers to be patient as people stock up on essential supplies.
St John said it was scaling up in preparation for Cyclone Gabrielle.
Spokesperson Dan Ohs said St John had increased deployments in Northland, Coromandel, Auckland, and Bay of Plenty.
There would be extra ambulances and four wheel drives on the ground, he said.
"For us it looks like additional ambulances where that's relevant and in particular, four-wheel-drives. We're also in discussion with Wellington Free (Ambulance). Wellington Free have a rescue unit capability and four-wheel-drive resources."
- additional reporting RNZ
