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

<p>Cyclone crossed coast near Maketu peninsula, packing destructive winds exceeding 130km/h (80 mph), heavy rain and large swells</p><p>Cyclone Vaianu made landfall in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/newzealand">New Zealand’s</a> North Island on Sunday, triggering floods, power outages and <a href="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</a>.</p><p>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.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/12/cyclone-vaianu-new-zealand-north-island-floods-power-outages-hundreds-evacuated">Continue reading...</a>