New Zealand counts the cost of Cyclone Gabrielle

The tropical cyclone which lashed New Zealand’s North Island on Monday and Tuesday - with high winds and heavy rain severely impacting more than half a dozen regions - has had a significant impact that goes way beyond the leisure industry.

Declared as only the third-ever state of emergency in the nation’s history (the state of emergency affects six regions, including Auckland), Cyclone Gabrielle has been described by New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins as a "once-in-a-generation" weather event.

As reported by the BBC, at least four people are known to have been killed and more than 1,400 are unaccounted for.

With coastal communities the worst affected, the Hawkes Bay towns of Hastings and Napier are cut off.

Having suspended operations due to high winds, Auckland International Airport resumed flights today (Wednesday) but Air New Zealand has advised that schedules would likely remain disrupted "for several days".

Earlier today, Auckland Council advised the community to stay at home and not head to its parks, sports grounds and beaches for recreational purposes or to view the effects of the storm.

The warning comes less than three weeks after the city and surrounding areas endured record rainfall and flooding.

Tourism operators, including those beyond impacted regions, are expected to suffer as a result of the Cyclone.

As a result of the impacts of the Cyclone, singing star Lorde has changed the start of the Solar Power Tour with the her first shows in Wellington on 21st and 22nd February, originally scheduled to take place at Days Bay in the Hutt Valley, being moved indoors to TSB Arena on Wellington’s waterfront.