Vaianu, forecast to bring heavy rain and winds of up to 130kmh, was expected to hit on Sunday, then pass west of the remote Chatham Islands on Monday, the weather forecaster said.

It warned that Auckland, a city of 1.7 million people, could expect up to 110mm of rain from late Saturday to Sunday afternoon, with “heavy swells and coastal inundation likely”.

“Streams and rivers may rise rapidly,” it added.

Several North Island regions were under emergency declarations, including Whakatane, population 37,150, where authorities ordered evacuations in some coastal areas of the district.

“Residents should plan to be away for at least two days,” the Whakatane District Council posted on Facebook.

“On coastal areas, the storm could cause landslides, storm surges, waves of up to 13m and coastal flooding,” it said.

About 180km south, in the Hawke’s Bay region, authorities said they would start evacuating homes and public places in beachfront areas on Saturday afternoon.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Friday the cyclone had the potential to be damaging and urged those in its path to prepare for impact.

“Make sure drains are free, check in on the neighbours, and be prepared for possible power cuts,” Luxon said on X.

Vaianu has conjured up the painful memory of 2023’s Cyclone Gabrielle, which killed 11 and displaced thousands in one of New Zealand’s biggest natural disasters this century.