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"Cyclone Gabrielle has started to make itself felt with widespread power outages, particularly in exposed areas across north Auckland. Our crews are responding as quickly and safely as they can, given the current weather conditions. As of 7pm [06:00 GMT], around 15,000 customers were without power," the company said in a statement.
The firm added that due to the expected deterioration of weather conditions, power outages would continue until Monday, reported Sputnik.
The Auckland Emergency Management, in turn, urged people to prepare for the aftermath of the massive blackouts, including stocking up on food, batteries, blankets, and warm clothing, as well as listening to the news on the radio. - BERNAMA