New Zealand coastal areas evacuated

The New Zealand mainland started to count the cost of Tropical Cyclone Pam on Monday as the storm began moving southeastward out to sea.

However, the Chatham Islands, a small group of islands about 750 km east of the South Island and home to about 600 people, is still under a state of emergency with Pam expected to hit about midday on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Civil Defense and Emergency Management said in a statement the storm could yet intensify slightly, and a warning was now in place for severe gales, heavy rain and heavy swells for the Chatham Islands.