Climate scientists say the Pacific could be battered by up to 10 tropical cyclones in the next six months.
Photo: Fiji Meteorological Service
Niwa has released its outlook for the upcoming cyclone season - from November to April - and predicts there will be between 8 to 10 tropical cyclones in the Southwest Pacific in that period.
It said five or six of those storms could be Category Three or higher.
Niwa said, on average, at least one ex-tropical cyclone passes within 550 kilometres of New Zealand every year.
