The damaging storm has maintained intensity as it tracks south from the tropics, sitting about 400km north of Auckland as of Monday morning.

Cyclone Gabrielle passed over the Australian territory of Norfolk Island on Saturday night as a category two storm with gusts of up to 155km/h.

NZ meteorological agency MetService reported gusts of 160km/h at Channel Island, off the northern tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, early on Monday morning.

MetService have issued red weather warnings, saved for the most destructive weather, for the North Island regions of Auckland and Hauraki Gulf islands, Northland, the Coromandel and Tairawhiti.

“We’re still expecting the worst is yet to come,” Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said.

Auckland, the site of major flooding a fortnight ago, is on high alert.

New Zealand’s biggest city received 245mm across a 24-hour period on January 27 and 28, producing widespread flooding and killing four men.

With MetService expecting of another 150-250mm of rain in Auckland over the next three days, there are fears more flooding and slips could wipe out infrastructure and homes.

Unlike the monster wet last month, Cyclone Gabrielle is also bringing destructive wind.

As of Monday morning, the hardest-hit region is Northland, where large swathes are without power due to destructive winds, and some places have received 100mm of rain in 18 hours.

The AM Show reported 35,000 properties had lost electricity across the top of North Island, which would be the worst outages in decades.

Emergency services attended more than 220 wind-related callouts overnight.

“Roofs lifting off homes. Windows blown out. A couple of places where trees have fallen on houses. Lots of fallen trees on roads and bringing down powerlines,” Fire and Emergency NZ spokesman Vaughan Mackereth said.

In Auckland, the highest gusts have been recorded on the harbour bridge – which has been closed to traffic for long spells – of 115km/h.

Air New Zealand has cancelled all flights in and out of Auckland and a string of regional airports on Monday, while Auckland ferries and many inter-city buses have also been cancelled.

Schools have been asked to consider closing by the education department, and many people have been asked to work from home and delay non-essential travel.

Cyclone Gabrielle’s effects are likely to be felt across New Zealand until Wednesday, with tracking maps suggesting the storm will continue south to the Coromandel before heading east over the Bay of Plenty and Tairawhiti.

Wellington at the base of North Island, and towns across the South Island, will be hit, with damaging winds expected on Tuesday.