Cyclone Gabrielle is expected to strengthen to category three as it barrels toward Norfolk Island, in line to pummel New Zealand's North Island.
The system is predicted to intensify to category three on Friday morning, picking up speed and strength with winds of between 165km/h and 224km/h, the Bureau of Meteorology says.
The system's trajectory has shifted and is in line to make landfall on Norfolk Island late on Saturday or early Sunday.
