New Zealand city declares emergency after torrential rain

• A massive rainstorm in Auckland has caused extensive flooding and evacuations.
• A body was discovered in Wairau Valley on Auckland’s northern shore.
• Flights, rail and ferry services into and out of the city have been cancelled due to weather.

The biggest city in New Zealand has declared a state of emergency following severe flooding and evacuations brought on by excessive rain.

The Friday rainstorm in Auckland caused houses to move, slowed down traffic, and cut off power to residences and businesses.

According to the local news paper, a body was discovered in Wairau Valley on Auckland’s northern shore.

A 40,000-person Elton John performance was postponed just minutes before it was scheduled to begin.

Online video showed rescuers using kayaks to carry out evacuations when people were caught in floodwater up to their waists.

In other images, food goods could be seen floating down the aisles of a number of flooded stores.

“Infrastructure and emergency services alike have been overwhelmed by the impacts of the storm,” said Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown.

Floods at #Auckland airport #NewZealand #AKL pic.twitter.com/ud0OqofrLd

— Emily H (@Handles_1992) January 27, 2023

According to local media, fire departments have answered more than a thousand pleas for aid. In addition, the New Zealand Defense Force assists with evacuations.

Due to the weather, rail and ferry services within Auckland as well as flights into the city have all been postponed or cancelled.

Floods also cut up major roadways, which resulted in lengthy traffic jams on highways and a number of reported accidents.

At 18:00 local time (06:00 GMT), Auckland Emergency Management posted on Twitter that the area was experiencing “severe weather,” with numerous areas seeing considerable flooding.

The national meteorological service assessed that 15 cm of rain had fallen in the previous 11 hours two hours later. 16.2cm is the record during a 24-hour period.

For at least the next five days, the authority has predicted that there will be severe rains in various regions of Auckland.

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