“Now is not the time for sprinklers” declared one of the billboards on the drive into Mount Maunganui on Sunday and although it was not the weather that the local authorities had in mind here, the sentiment was still applicable.
Heavy rain and strong winds were already hitting The Bay of Plenty despite Cyclone Gabrielle being yet to truly arrive on New Zealand’s North Island. Local residents were advised to get in ample food supplies for the next 48 hours and have sandbags at the ready. Disruption felt inevitable.
