New Zealand’s North Island were battered by high winds and rain.

The cyclone has hit an already-waterlogged region, much of it still recovering from devastating flooding a fortnight ago.

New Zealand prime minister, Chris Hipkins has warned the worst is yet to come as Cyclone Gabrielle sparks evacuations, rising flood waters and power outages across the North Island.

About 46,000 homes, mostly in Northland, remained without power. Power companies said the conditions were highly challenging as the storm continued, with trees falling through lines and blocking roads. National forecaster MetService said it had broken its record for “red” weather warnings issued around the country, and wind gusts of 150-160km/h were recorded.