Cyclone Gabrielle worst storm to hit New Zealand this century, says PM

National state of emergency invoked and thousands displaced as storm devastates large parts of North Island and minister says this is climate change'

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New Zealand's is in a national state of emergency, as Cyclone Gabrielle batters the country, with floods trapping people on roofs, thousands displaced and landslides destroying homes in what officials have described as an unprecedented" natural disaster.

Cyclone Gabrielle is the most significant weather event New Zealand has seen in this century. The severity and the damage that we are seeing has not been experienced in a generation," the prime minister, Chris Hipkins, said on Tuesday. We are still building a picture of the effects of the cyclone as it continues to unfold. But what we do know is the impact is significant and it is widespread."