Morning Report for Thursday 13 April 2017

6:00 AM.NIWA warns storm will bring destructive wind and heavy rain, Aucklanders told to "have a plan" as Cyclone Cook approaches, Thames-Coromandel braces for Cyclone Cook, Great Barrier Island to bear the… Read more Audio

6:06 AM.A update from the team at RNZ sport. Audio

6:10 AM.Cyclone Cook is bearing down on New Zealand bringing more torrential rain and potentially destructive winds. The Transport Agency's Waikato Bay of Plenty highway manager Nic Johansson says any… Read more Audio

6:13 AM.An Edgecumbe local board member who's been helping people return to flooded homes say hundreds face a long wait before they'll be able to return. He says some homes will never be safe to go back to. Audio

6:20 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

6:22 AM.News from the rural and farming sector. Audio

6:37 AM.Auckland Civil Defence telling people to be prepared for storm that is coming at midday - know what to do if you can't get home, caught in a storm or your property is damaged. RNZ Auckland reporter… Read more Audio

6:43 AM.MetService warns people to take Cyclone Cook seriously. Spokesperson Lisa Murray says it's the worst storm she's ever seen. Audio

6:49 AM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Audio

7:06 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

7:14 AM.Aucklanders warned to get prepared for today's massive storm. Auckland Civil Defence Head of Emergency Management Operations Aaron Davis says there's likely to be "power poles down, roofs off and… Read more Audio

7:22 AM.Emergency services on Great Barrier Island are on standby for the arrival of Cyclone Cook. Audio

7:24 AM.RNZ reporter Sharon Brettkelly on Ohope Beach says its calm now but people are getting ready for storm surges, coastal ersion and landslides. She says, "People who are worried about their home are… Read more Audio

7:42 AM.US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and the Russian president Vladimir Putin has held a surprise meeting. After the meeting the US's top diplomat said relations between his country and Russia are at a… Read more Audio

7:48 AM.Already on the ropes after damage from the Kaikoura quakes all but ended through traffic, business owners in Cheviot say they're not expecting their usual Easter bonanza. Audio

7:52 AM.The movie industry continues to do big business in New Zealand but the small screen production sector is struggling. We talk to the chief executive of the Film Commission, Dave Gibson. Audio

7:57 AM.More singles are ready to mingle as South Otago's Middlemarch Ball takes to social media to boost attendance. Audio

8:06 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

8:09 AM.Low lying coastal areas of Coromandel are being evacuated as the region braces for Cyclone Cook. Mayor for Thames Coromandel, Sandra Goudie says Civil Defence have done an aweson job, and the region… Read more Audio

8:15 AM.The storm's coming at one of the busiest times of the year for moteliers - the long Easter weekend. Rachael Shadbolt is the accommodation manager for the Hospitality Association says many moteliers… Read more Audio

8:18 AM.ACC is spending 45 million dollars to reduce the high and rising cost of injuries related to medical treatment. Audio

8:21 AM.A 24/7 police presence in Kaitaia will make a huge difference for the area says Ben Dalton from the Government's Regional Economic Development programmme. He says there are many other programmes that… Read more Audio

8:28 AM.Jordon William's solicitor says they won't be going away and a re-trial is an option that the team are considering. John Langford says its not allabout money, but it would be nice to get something out… Read more Audio

8:29 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

8:39 AM.Teachers are warning the future of the film, art and music industries is at risk because schools and the Education Ministry are sidelining subjects like music and drama. Audio

8:47 AM.Beekeepers say the manuka honey industry has come to a grinding halt after repeated delays to new authenticity standards, designed to protect the market. Audio

8:56 AM.A team from the University of Otago has finished a massive survey of the WWI tunnels in Arras in France. Audio