A storm cuts power to about 58,000 people

WELLINGTON (AP) About 58,000 people were without power Monday afternoon in New Zealand, according to Roger Poole, head of the National Emergency Management Agency Roger Poole, due to a tropical storm in the north of the country.

A state of emergency has been declared in five regions in the north of the archipelago, affecting nearly a third of the country’s population of 5.1 million.

Although the storm was downgraded from hurricane status as it approached New Zealand on Sunday, heavy rain and high winds downed trees, damaged roads and knocked out power lines.

Police said a person was missing. She was on a boat from which a distress signal was made Monday morning near Great Barrier Island (North).

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hepkins, who is based in Wellington, was among the thousands of people stranded in Auckland (North), after flights were canceled due to the storm.

“It’s going to get worse before it gets better,” Hipkins told a news conference on Monday, urging people to “be prepared” and “stay home if you can.”

Mr Hipkins said the government was considering declaring a national emergency for only the third time in the country’s history, but that it was not necessary at this time.

Winds of up to 140 km/h lashed northern New Zealand, and gusts of up to 110 km/h were recorded at the Auckland Harbor Bridge.

Emergency Management Minister Kieran McNulty warned it was going to be a “critical day” due to an “extremely dangerous” combination of high winds and torrential rain.

Auckland, the country’s largest city of 1.6 million people, is barely recovering from flash floods that killed four people in late January and forced thousands from their homes.

Weather disrupted New Zealand’s transport network, with flights, train and bus trips cancelled.

Air New Zealand said it has canceled 509 flights so far, but traffic is expected to resume as normal on Tuesday.

The airline said the movements of about 10,000 international customers were disrupted.