New Zealand declared a National State of Emergency on Tuesday for the third time in its history as Cyclone Gabrielle pounded the North Island with wind and rain and cutting power to tens of thousands of homes.

The New Zealand Meteorological Service reported wind gusts of over 140 kilometers per hour (87 miles per hour) were recorded along the coast, with waves close to 11 meters (36 feet) high off the Bay of Islands.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins told reporters: “With an event of the size and the scale that we have seen in the last 24 hours, what we have to do is make sure that we’re dealing with the most pressing needs across the country as quickly as we can.”

This cyclone is the third national state of emergency after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and Covid pandemic in 2020, and is due to a weather system off the country’s north that is tracking south and east along the coast.

Air New Zealand canceled all domestic flights to and from Auckland Airport – around 55 — for the remainder of Tuesday due to strong winds.