Cyclone Gabrielle: communities cut off in New Zealand’s North Island as national emergency declared – live

Damage and flooding extensive, with worst-effected areas on the east coast and far north of the North Island. Follow the updates live

• Full report: New Zealand declares national state of emergency

Hipkins says Cyclone Gabrielle is “an extreme weather event … probably the biggest that we have seen in recent times comes, and it comes hot on the heels of other extreme weather events.” A number of the regions worst-effected were still in the process of cleanup from devastating flooding a fortnight ago when the storm hit.

He says it is still too early to provide any figures on the number of people displaced or injured.