Media release #3 - Cyclone Vaianu - 5.30pm Sunday, 12 April 2026

Published on 12 April 2026

The Whanganui Civil Defence Emergency Operations Centre is still open this evening and we continue to monitor the movements of Cyclone Vaianu.  

A strong wind watch remains in place for Whanganui from 6.00pm, Sunday 12 April 2026. This watch has been extended to 1.00am, Monday 13 April.  The worst of the weather is expected to hit the Manawatu-Whanganui region this evening from between 5pm and 9pm. 

We are not expecting any change from earlier forecasts with some rain and possible wind gusts of between 40-60kmh.   

“Currently we have no issues in our district and we will continue to keep a watching brief over the course of the evening,” said Catherine Dutton, CD Controller. 

Please share this information with your whānau, friends, and neighbours. 

Find more advice here: https://www.mwcdem.govt.nz/regional-hazards/storms 

If conditions do worsen, the safest place is indoors. Try to avoid unnecessary travel and trust your judgement. If you notice rising water or signs of slips, act quickly and don’t wait for official alerts.  

We’ll continue to monitor things closely and share updates here, on Facebook and Antenno as we have them.  

Download the Antenno app  

Helpful information  

Civil defence  
Civil Defence Manawatū-Whanganui website  
Civil Defence Manawatū-Whanganui Facebook page  

Weather and traffic updates  
MetService for latest weather updates  
NZTA for traffic and travel updates  

Weather update  

A strong wind watch remains in place for Whanganui from 6.00pm Sunday 12 April until 1.00am Monday 13 April. Southwesterlies may approach severe gale in exposed places. There is a low chance of this being upgraded to a warning.  

Road closures  

Currently there are no cyclone-related road closures in Whanganui.   

Changes to road closures can be found on Facebook, the council website and Antenno.  

If you must travel, check your route using the NZTA journey planner for state highway closures. https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/journey-planner  

Please drive to the conditions and watch for fallen trees and debris.  

Power  

The Powerco website is the best place to receive updates https://outages.powerco.co.nz/  

Contact centres  

If you need to report an emergency situation call 111.  

If you need to contact Whanganui District Council about a weather-related issue, please call us on 349 0001. This number is monitored 24/7.