Weather
Cyclone Gita: Tonga locals wake to widespread damage
There's been devastation in Tonga following Tropical Cyclone Gita. Winds just over 230km/h lashed the small Pacific country and people in Nuku'alofa have told us of flying debris and buildings being… Audio
VIDEO: Govt ready to go to help Tonga - Ardern
The Prime Minister says New Zealand is standing by to help cyclone-battered Tonga. Watch Jacinda Ardern on Morning Report. Video, Audio
Ōpōtiki farmland flooded after heavy rain
Floodwaters are covering large parts of the Eastern Bay of Plenty after 24 hours of heavy rain. Several larger rivers in the district appear to have spilled into surrounding farmland - around the… Audio
Cyclone Gita: Jacinda Ardern pledges aid for Tonga
The New Zealand government has pledged an initial $50,000 to assist rescue and relief operations in cyclone battered Tonga. New Zealand responded to Cyclone Winston two years ago with one of the… Audio
Cyclone Gita should go south of Fiji - NIWA
The last time a category 5 cyclone hit the Pacific was in February 2016 when Cyclone Winston killed 44 people in Fiji. Cyclone Gita did not reach category 5. With details of how it compares Guyon… Audio
Cyclone Gita hits Tonga: Red Cross braces for clean up
Hanna Butler is a New Zealander working for the Red Cross at its Pacific regional headquarters in Suva. She has been monitoring the situation in Tonga, and has colleagues on the ground there. She… Audio
BoP flooding: reports large rivers have broken banks
Floodwater is covering large parts of the eastern Bay of Plenty after 24 hours of heavy rain.
Cyclone Gita wreaks havoc, Tonga faces major damage
Tropical cyclone Gita has wreaked havoc in Tonga hitting Tongatapu and the capital Nuku'alofa as a category 4 storm. American scientists monitoring the windspeed say it had sustained winds over… Audio
Cyclone Gita hits Tonga: 'Debris all over the place'
Tropical Cyclone Gita has wreaked havoc in Tonga overnight. Winds of over 233km/h ripped roofs off houses, brought down trees, destroyed a Catholic church, and took the Tongan Met Office and the… Audio
Cyclone Gita hits Tonga: Nuku'alofa faces major damage
Tropical Cyclone Gita has wreaked havoc in Tonga overnight. Winds of over 233km/h ripped roofs off houses, brought down trees, destroyed a Catholic church, and took the Tongan Met Office and the… Audio
Cyclone Gita: Homes destroyed as storm hits
The Red Cross says several houses have already been destroyed in Tonga, with the full force of Cyclone Gita yet to hit.
Cyclone Gita hits Tonga: Emergency teams out before dawn
Tropical Cyclone Gita has wreaked havoc in Tonga. On Tongatapu, winds of over 233km/h ripped roofs off houses, brought down trees, destroyed a Catholic church, and took the Tongan Met Office and the… Audio
Holidaygoers get ready for rocky night in Tonga hotel
Customers and staff at Tanoa International Hotel in Tonga are preparing to ride out the cyclone. General manager Jason Strickland talks to Bridget Burke. Audio
Tonga incredibly vulnerable to sea surges
Logistics and Disaster Risk Reduction Manager in Nuku'alofa, Graham Kenna, says Tonga will rely heavily on foreign assistance in the aftermath of Cyclone Gita. Video, Audio
Super cyclone to hit Tonga and Fiji
A state of emergency has been declared as the Kingdom braces for Cyclone Gita, which is expected to reach category five, and hit later tonight. Audio
Checkpoint weather: Monday 12 February
Metservice Meterologist John Law with the latest weather forecast. Video, Audio
Severe cyclones a part of life in Pacific
Tonga is bracing for the full force of Cyclone Gita this evening, with memories still fresh of another category five storm which caused major damage four years ago.
Cyclone Gita still expected to increase to category 5
MetService meteorologist Georgina Griffiths joins Checkpoint live with the latest forecast on cyclone Gita, including what impact it could have as it moves towards New Zealand. Video, Audio
'Air of complacency' in Tonga, despite approaching cyclone
TVNZ reporter Barbara Dreaver is in Tonga. She tells John Campbell there is an 'air of complacency' in Tonga, as many people have never experienced a category 5 cyclone and don't understand how… Video, Audio
Tonga bracing for winds up to 250km/h
Tonga's MetService director Ofa Fa'anunu says many people are in evacuation shelters, preparing for the worst, as they brace for Cyclone Gita. Audio
