About 46.000 homes have lost power after Cyclone Gabrielle hit northern New Zealand.
Authorities have issued warnings of heavy rain and winds and hundreds of flights have been cancelled.
Some areas have declared a state of emergency as Gabrielle approaches the North Island, writes the BBC.
It comes weeks after Auckland and surrounding areas were hit by record rainfall that caused flooding and killed four people.
"Things are likely to get worse before they get better," said New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, who announced $11.5 million in aid.
Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty told a news conference on Monday that the government is considering declaring a national state of emergency for only the third time in the country's history.
A state of emergency has already been declared in five northern regions, including Auckland. The declaration gives local authorities greater power to respond to dangerous situations and allows them to restrict travel and provide assistance.
McAnulty added that Monday will be a "critical day" because of the "very dangerous" combination of strong winds and heavy rain. Winds of up to 140 km/h (87 mph) hit the Northland region, while the Auckland Harbor Bridge was rocked by gusts of 110 km/h.
He warned that it could take days to restore the power grid after bad weather made grid work "unsafe".
