New Zealander Demonstrates Strength of Cyclone Gabrielle Winds

A man out exploring along the coast of New Zealand’s North Island during Cyclone Gabrielle dramatically demonstrated the strength of the storm’s winds on February 13.

Video by Brando Yelavich shows him near the churning ocean on the Coromandel Peninsula, and what he calls “the largest waves I’ve ever seen”.

He then throws a stick off the edge of a cliff.

“Expecting gravity to do its job, I wanted to see the stick fall down into the ocean, but it took off like a broomstick. Disappearing far into the sky,” Yelavich told Storyful.

Cyclone Gabrielle brought heavy rain, strong winds and large waves to the North Island of New Zealand. Eleven people were confirmed to have died by February 20, but that number was expected to rise as more than 2,200 remained missing. Credit: Brando Yelavich via Storyful

Video transcript

- Woo! We're almost at the blowhole. Holy [MUTED]. Woo! These are most certainly the largest waves I've ever seen.

Woo! We're almost at the blowhole. Holy [MUTED]. Woo! These are most certainly the largest way I've ever seen.