An Aerial View of Lifuka Island After Cyclone Ian Hit Tonga January 11, 2014
An aerial view of Lifuka Island after Cyclone Ian hit Tonga January 11, 2014. Reuters

New Zealand braces for rain and windy conditions as Cyclone June heads to the country. Weather reports said the cyclone which came from New Caledonia is expected to bring strong winds and rain.

The MetService has issued a severe weather warning in Northland to prepare residents for gale-force southwest winds on Jan. 21. The strong winds may cause damage to structures and uproot trees. Residents are advised to be cautious in driving in hazardous weather conditions.

MetService weather forecaster Elke Louw said the first few days of the week will cause poor weather for the residents in the North and South Islands. The upper part of Northern Island will experience rainy and windy weather as the cyclone moves nearer to the southern and central regions of New Zealand.

Ms Louw stated that heavy swells along the east coast may sweep Cape Reinga all the way to the Bay of Plenty. She advised New Zealanders who want to go outdoors to postpone plans until Friday, Jan. 24, when most of the country will experience clear skies.

Cyclone June has since weakened and is on its way to North Island with rain ahead of it. MetService forecaster Marylin Avery said North Island and part of South Island will experience rain.

Last week, a cold front came barreling down on New Zealand as authorities in Hawkes Bay, Canterbury and Wairarapa issued severe weather warning alerts as a result of strong winds. The weather bureau said that the cold front carries cold Antarctic air from south of New Zealand.

According to head WeatherWatch analyst Philip Duncan, daytime highs in mid-January were well below average. Some areas of coastal Southland and Otago had temperatures of 11 to 13 °C when the cold front passed.

Meanwhile, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck near North Island. A severe earthquake hit 10km north of Castlepoint in Wairarapa at 73km deep at 3:52PM. Buildings reportedly shook during the quake while several people used Twitter to report their experience. No people were reported injured or hurt during the tremor.