'Potentially life-threatening': Cyclone increasingly likely to hit NZ

Weather forecasters are warning that Cyclone Vaianu is increasingly likely to hit the country this weekend.

MetService says the incoming Tropical Cyclone Vaianu could bring life-threatening winds to the North Island on Sunday.

Meterologist Alanna Burrows says the cyclone - currently south of Fiji - is category three, and has winds up to 130kmh at its centre.

Burrows says forecasters are very concerned about it because it has the potential of bringing "damaging, potentially life-threatening winds, heavy rain and hazardous coastal conditions".

The system might have a severe impact on parts of the North Island - including power outages, falling trees, slips, road closures, and isolated communities.

Burrows said it was too soon to put a figure on the wind speeds and rainfall amount.

• Check severe weather alerts here

MetService has this morning issued a strong wind watch for the entire North Island, and said some areas were likely to be upgraded to orange or red warnings as the system approached.

The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, NIWA, says its modelling also indicates that the cyclone will most likely reach the North Island on Sunday.

When it nears New Zealand, the heaviest rain is expected across the north and east of the North Island. The areas that will be impacted and the intensity of those impacts will be heavily dependent on the path that TC Vaianu takes as it approaches New Zealand, MetService says.

MetService meteorologist John Law said "a very close eye" was being kept on the system.

"The exact path and intensity of the storm as it heads towards us in New Zealand is yet to be determined, however, it does look like we will be seeing some impacts from this system during the weekend."

Cyclone Maila now at Category 5 strength

Another cyclone is also active in the Pacific.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Maila has been upgraded to a Category 5 system today, with winds near the centre of 215kmh and gusts up to 295kmh.

Australia's Bureau of Meteorology said Maila, currently located in the Solomon Sea, would move towards the Far North Queensland coast over the weekend.