Updated 11:06am — Severe gales have been affecting parts of the top of the North Island overnight and it’s about to get windier as the centre of the storm that was once Severe Tropical Cyclone Dovi makes landfall here in New Zealand.

Auckland has wind gusts over 130km/h in the city and over 160 and 170km/h in more extreme exposed areas, according to Council data.

Winds in Auckland are likely peaking, damaging gusts are still possible until early to mid afternoon before tapering off.

🌊🌊🌀Amazing sight of huge waves breaking over the sea wall in #NewPlymouth. Our thanks to Brett McCall for pointing it out.

Ex-Tropical #CycloneDovi is making landfall about now (or next hour or so) just north of here.

View Livestream: https://t.co/xgVy7T4IvV pic.twitter.com/4gOQvdbkwE

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) February 12, 2022

#HarbourBridge – CLOSED. #GALES #DOVI

Winds in Auckland are gusting over 150km/h in exposed places (and the Harbour Bridge is about as exposed as it gets!). https://t.co/3JHAYg3xg4

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) February 12, 2022

A few changes this morning:

• Dovi’s remnants look to be tracking a few hours faster than originally forecast, meaning for some places in the north, the worst may be over by late afternoon.
• Dovi’s centre looks to track a little further south – this helps take some pressure off peak westerly wind speeds forecast for Auckland today (although damaging gusts are definitely still possible, the duration and peak of those winds may reduce a little and ease earlier today).
• The rain band ahead of Dovi has tracked further south, something WeatherWatch.co.nz highlighted on Friday was a possibility. This means rain continues to fall over Christchurch and now Westport too – although totals don’t look too intense today with only 10 to 20mm forecast.
•  The centre of Dovi is likely to make landfall late morning or lunch time around North Taranaki / Waitomo area.
  

🚨🌀#AUCKLAND: Peak Westerlies now developing, with gusts of 130 – 150km/h in exposed areas.

Expect power outages in some suburbs. Pls stay indoors where possible & avoid being near trees. Gusts strong enough to break branches, uproot trees, even damage buildings in some gusts.

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) February 12, 2022

Damaging winds will move in across more of the upper North Island today and around Taranaki too potentially – then as the day progresses the worst of those winds shift to the eastern side of the North Island along with a gale southerly. That same southerly will finally bring a refreshing change to the muggy weather in the upper North Island.

Keep up to date with MetService warnings – they are LIVE updated on our website now, and in your hyper-local WeatherWatch forecasts (website only, we’re bringing to the app later this year).

To make sense of timing – please use the WIND, TEMP and RAIN graphs at RuralWeather.co.nz or the MAPS at WeatherWatch.co.nz.

If you currently have #power and live in the North Island (especially #Auckland) make sure your devices are charged.

Wind gusts of 130 to 150km/h possible in some parts of the region today, easily enough to damage vegetation/trees (and therefore powerlines). cc @Vectorltd pic.twitter.com/RyqUEZnDTr

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) February 12, 2022

Remnants of #Dovi moving in. Damaging winds already impacting parts of #Auckland. It will be a very windy several hours ahead as the westerly change kicks in. Power outages possible.

Dovi's centre likely to come in around north Taranaki or Waitomo late this morning/lunchtime. pic.twitter.com/3owrlqxaVe

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) February 12, 2022

#CycloneDovi 's notable gusts overnight.

153 km/h Great Barrier Island
144 km/h Okahu Island
138 km/h Clevedon
133 km/h Kaeo
130 km/h Manukau Heads
128 km/h Mokohinau Islands
124 km/h Helensville
122 km/h Tukukaka
120 km/h Tiritiri lighthouse

More to come late morning pic.twitter.com/HQTmdkM4ne

— Hauraki Gulf Weather (@HaurakiGulfWx) February 12, 2022