Cyclone Vaianu has now been downgraded to a Category 2 storm as it enters New Zealand waters, with warnings and watches about where it will strike hardest to be updated in coming hours.

Expected to hit New Zealand shores on Sunday, MetService has warned of an increased risk of power outages, flooding and road closures as the tropical system bears down in close waters. The entire North Island is currently under a severe strong wind watch for Sunday.

A Metservice spokeswoman told the Herald as of midnight last night, Vaianu is now a Category 2 storm after a day at the stronger Category 3.

“It’s now in New Zealand waters and being classified as a Category 2... it’s about halfway between Fiji and us as we speak.”

She said a new cyclone track map and fresh batch of watches and warnings were expected to be uploaded to the Metservice website in coming hours.

Some regions were likely to be upgraded to orange or even red warnings as the track of the cyclone became clearer, with heavy rain watches added closer to the time.

Civil Defence has already advised Kiwis to make a plan for their whānau, as has Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who yesterday said people in the North Island should “stock up, get supplies and tie things down”.

Luxon told reporters that Cyclone Vaianu is a potentially “damaging and significant event” for the country, with government agencies set to be “on full notice”.

MetService meteorologist Katie Lyons told the Herald it is too early to predict where the storm’s high winds and heavy rain will be the most severe.

“It does look at the moment like the whole of the North Island will see impacts and therefore we’ve got a strong wind watch over the entirety of the North Island.”

But Kiwis will have a temporary respite from wet, wild and muggy conditions today as a front moves east off the North Island.

“We do have a bit more of a settled period, still muggy unfortunately, but a bit more of a settled period until this weekend,” Lyons said.

MetService has issued a heavy rain watch for the Bay of Plenty and east of Whakatāne.

In the south, things are fining up, with fine weather today and tomorrow across the lower island as showers ease off.

A front will then bring some showers to Fiordland and Southland on Saturday, continuing to shift across the far south and West Coast on Sunday.

While it’s still far out, Lyons said Otago and Canterbury might be a haven from the bad weather.