New Zealand city grinds to a halt as deluge from Cyclone Gabrielle looms

Auckland residents hunkered down on Monday as they braced for a deluge from Cyclone Gabrielle (Brett Phibbs/NZ Herald/AP)

Auckland residents hunkered down on Monday as they braced for a deluge from Cyclone Gabrielle, two weeks after a record-breaking storm swamped New Zealand’s largest city and killed four people.

Much of the city ground to a halt as train services were cancelled, libraries and most schools were closed, and authorities asked people to make only essential trips.