Cyclone Rita continues to grow in strength and is tracking towards Vanuatu, forecasters say.
The first cyclone of the 2019-2020 season has formed just east of the Pacific country and is expected to strengthen into a category 2 tropical cyclone on Tuesday.
New Zealand's MetService says its meteorologists are keeping a close eye on this "significant system", which is in a populated part of the Pacific.
WeatherWatch warns it will bring heavy rain and dangerous beach conditions as it moves towards eastern Vanuatu on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Fortunately, New Zealand is protected from the storm by a very powerful belt of high pressure between us and the tropics.
"This same high-pressure belt will 1) Stop Rita from tracking towards NZ, 2) Stop Rita from strengthening too much, 3) Guide Rita in towards Vanuatu as a rainmaker," WeatherWatch says.
"As high pressure continues to spread east from Australia and over the upper North Island and north of New Zealand it will do a good job at holding back tropical lows from reaching NZ."
