Auckland universities close as Cyclone Cook bears down
Auckland Harbour Bridge closure now seen less likely as cyclone tracks further east than forecast. MetService website back online.
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Hawke’s Bay
UPDATED 12.30pm: The two Auckland universities have both shut their doors as Cyclone Cook bears down on the city.
AUT sent students home at 11am, following Auckland University. Out in the 'burbs, Unitech has closed its main campus at Mt Albert, and satellites in Waikatere and Albany.
Early this morning, Civil Defence announced plans to evacuate low-lying areas of Coromandel, where a state of emergency is in place.
In Auckland, NZTA is warning the Harbour Bridge could be closed later today if forecast 160km/hour winds eventuate. However, as of late morning, it was seen as a receding possibility as Cook tracked further east than forecast.
Regardless, as of early afternoon, traffic was gridlocked around the CBD as some white collar workers joined students in attempting to make an early exit.
Slightly farther east track for #CycloneCook means less #rain for the #Auckland region, but still an impact for Thursday evening commute. pic.twitter.com/piipICEVED
— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) April 12, 2017
Auckland Airport, where numerous flights have been delayed, as been one of several providers experiencing website difficulties under heavy load today.
Trapped in Auckland airport by cancelled flights. Forced to retreat to bar for red wine. Probably several.
— Bill Ralston (@BillyRalston) April 13, 2017
See the Civil Defence home page for the latest updates for your area.
Meanwhile, MetService says its website has now "stabilised."
Earlier this morning, with its main website (metservice.com) swamped by "unprecedented traffic," the weather report provider enabled a stripped-down alternative site for updates as Cyclone Cook bears down on New Zealand: www2.metservice.com. It also pointed people to its Facebook page, facebook.com/MetService.
In a case of bad timing, Metservice has withdrawn its old smartphone app but has yet to make its new one available through Apple or Google's app stores.
Our super high-resolution 1.5 km model shows #CycloneCook making landfall just south of Whangamata on Thursday evening. pic.twitter.com/Ro5cw1cZ24
— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) April 12, 2017
here's #cyclonecook above, and that other system off in the tasman. from https://t.co/reteQi4Mji pic.twitter.com/eA2KV6unE2
— henry cooke (@henrycooke) April 12, 2017
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Auckland universities close as Cyclone Cook bears down
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