Heavy rain and strong winds are lashing parts of New Zealand as cylone cook, called the worst storm in decades, sweeps across north island. A state of emergency have been declared across the Coromandel peninsula and bay of plenty, with landslips, flash flooding and downed power lines closing roads. Some coastal communities have been evacuated and thousands of homes left without power. The cyclone killed one person when it swept through the Pacific Islands of New Caledonia earlier this week. New Zealand weather officials said cylone cook would be the worst to hit the country since 1968. The New Zealand herald newspaper warned that it would bring a phenomenal amount of rain and wind compared to cylone debbie which hit Australia in march moving towards New Zealand afterwards.
