People made more than 2,000 calls for help, while 70 people were evacuated from their homes in areas around Auckland due to flooding
The death toll from torrential rain in New Zealand rose to four today as flash floods and landslides continued for a third day in the country’s North Island.
Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, which has been affected since Friday, has remained under a state of emergency. The country’s meteorological service, the MetService, warned of more severe weather today and tomorrow, Monday, in New Zealand’s North Island. Heavy rains could cause flash flooding, he predicted.
“We know there is a potential for more severe weather tonight,” Oakland Emergency Management told reporters. Rachel Kelleher.
The state of emergency covers large areas of the North Island, while the area Waitomowhich is about 220 kilometers from Auckland, was declared a state of emergency late last night, Saturday.
A man who was missing after being swept away by water in a village about 70km south of Auckland has been confirmed dead, police said.
“The most horrible thing is that we lost lives,” said the deputy prime minister Carmel Sepuloni from Auckland, a city of 1.6 million inhabitants, while yesterday it was announced that three more people had died due to the bad weather.
Climate change is causing heavy rainfall events to increase in frequency and intensity in New Zealand, although their impact varies by region. Climate Change Minister James Shaw highlighted the link with climate change in a tweet yesterday in which he expressed his support for those affected by the floods.
Police said today they were assisting with traffic management due to road closures in the Waitomo region after torrential rains “caused a number of slips, flooding and road damage”.
In the nearby area Bay of Plenty there is also “extensive flooding”, according to police, while a landslide, which destroyed a house, also threatens neighboring buildings.
Thousands of homes remain without power, while hundreds are without water, according to authorities.
Despite this, Air New Zealand’s international flights to and from Auckland will resume today at noon (01:00 Greek time), a spokesperson said.
The Prime Minister of New Zealand Chris Hipkins, who has been in the position for less than a week, flew by helicopter over Oakland to survey the damage and visited areas with flood-damaged homes. He described the impact of flooding on the city as “unprecedented” in recent memory.
People made more than 2,000 calls for help, while 70 people were evacuated from their homes in areas around Auckland, which is the country’s largest city, due to flooding, the New Zealand Herald wrote yesterday.
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
