Communities across the Bay of Plenty are beginning to assess the impacts of Cyclone Vaianu after the system tracked south and away from the country, bringing destructive winds, intense rain and large coastal swells to exposed parts of the region.

Vaianu’s centre is now well offshore, with all watches and warnings related to the cyclone lifted, the MetService said in its latest weather update.

Forecasters are urging ongoing caution as unsettled weather continues to affect parts of the country.

The MetService said the Bay of Plenty was among the hardest-hit regions on Sunday as Vaianu approached from the north, with severe gale-force winds affecting coastal and elevated areas.

Cyclone centre crosses near Maketū Peninsula

The centre of Cyclone Vaianu moved onshore over the Bay of Plenty just after 2pm on Sunday, crossing close to the Maketū Peninsula with a central pressure of around 978hPa. (The lower the central pressure, the more intense the storm/cyclone is).

After coming ashore, Vaianu continued southward across the North Island before moving back offshore near Hawke’s Bay at around 6pm, gradually weakening as it tracked away from the country.

Heavy rain compounds impacts

Alongside the damaging winds, intense rainfall fell across the upper North Island, raising concerns about flooding and slips in already saturated catchments.

While rainfall totals varied across the Bay of Plenty, nearby regions recorded extreme accumulations, including 332mm at the Pinnacles weather station in Coromandel Forest Park in the 24 hours to 4pm Sunday — underscoring the widespread severity of the system.

Unsettled conditions ahead

Although Vaianu’s most severe weather has now cleared the Bay of Plenty, attention is turning west as a new spell of showery conditions advances up the country.

MetService meteorologist Michael Pawley said the next few days will remain unsettled.

Another rain band is expected to move across the country on Tuesday. Image / MetService

“The next few days we can expect showers, especially in the west. These could be heavy, with possible thunderstorms and hail, as a series of fronts roll in from the Tasman Sea,” he said.

A heavy rain watch is in place for Northern Taranaki, Waitomo, Taumarunui, and areas west of Lake Taupō until this evening.